Utility Bill Calibration Test Cases | Buildings | NREL

Science.gov Websites

illustrates the utility bill calibration test cases in BESTEST-EX. In these cases, participants are given software results have been generated. This diagram provides an overview of the BESTEST-EX utility bill calibration case process. On the left side of the diagram is a box labeled "BESTEST-EX Document"

Automated documentation error detection and notification improves anesthesia billing performance.

PubMed

Spring, Stephen F; Sandberg, Warren S; Anupama, Shaji; Walsh, John L; Driscoll, William D; Raines, Douglas E

2007-01-01

Documentation of key times and events is required to obtain reimbursement for anesthesia services. The authors installed an information management system to improve record keeping and billing performance but found that a significant number of their records still could not be billed in a timely manner, and some records were never billed at all because they contained documentation errors. Computer software was developed that automatically examines electronic anesthetic records and alerts clinicians to documentation errors by alphanumeric page and e-mail. The software's efficacy was determined retrospectively by comparing billing performance before and after its implementation. Staff satisfaction with the software was assessed by survey. After implementation of this software, the percentage of anesthetic records that could never be billed declined from 1.31% to 0.04%, and the median time to correct documentation errors decreased from 33 days to 3 days. The average time to release an anesthetic record to the billing service decreased from 3.0+/-0.1 days to 1.1+/-0.2 days. More than 90% of staff found the system to be helpful and easier to use than the previous manual process for error detection and notification. This system allowed the authors to reduce the median time to correct documentation errors and the number of anesthetic records that were never billed by at least an order of magnitude. The authors estimate that these improvements increased their department's revenue by approximately $400,000 per year.

Impact of Rate Design Alternatives on Residential Solar Customer Bills: Increased Fixed Charges, Minimum Bills and Demand-Based Rates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McLaren, Joyce; Davidson, Carolyn; Miller, John

Utilities are proposing changes to residential rate structures to address concerns about lost revenue due to increased adoption of distributed solar generation. An investigation of the impacts of increased fixed charges, minimum bills and residential demand charges on PV and non-PV customer bills suggests that minimum bills more accurately capture utilities' revenue requirement than fixed charges, while not acting as a disincentive to efficiency or negatively impacting low-income customers.

Utility Bill Insert for Wastewater Services

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Intended for use by wastewater and water supply utilities, one side of the utility bill insert has information for customers that discharge to sanitary sewer systems; the other side is for customers with septic systems.

Bill Calculator V1.0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2002-08-19

Utitlity tariffs vary significantly from utility to utility. Each utility has its own rates and sets of rules by which bills are calculated. The Bill Calculator reconstructs the tariff based on these rules, stored in data tables, and access the appropriate charges for a given energy consumption and demand. The software reconstructs the tariff logic from the rules stored in data tables. Changes are tallied as the logic is reconstructed. This is essentially an accounting program. The main limitation is on the time to search for each tariff element. It is currently on O(N) search. Also, since the Bill calculatormore » first stores all tariffs in an array and then reads the array to reconstruct a specific tariff, the memory limitatins of a particular system would limit the number of tariffs that could be handled. This tool allows a user to calculate a bill from any sampled utility without prior knowledge of the tariff logic or structure. The peculiarities of the tariff logic are stored in data tables and manged by the Bill Calculator software. This version of the software is implemented as a VB module that operates within Microsoft Excel. Input data tables are stored in Excel worksheets. In this version the Bill Calculator functions can be assessed through Excel as user defined worksheet functions. Bill Calculator can calculate approximately 50,000 bills in less than 30 minutes.« less

Estimating the Energy, Demand and Cost Savings from a Geothermal Heat Pump ESPC Project at Fort Polk, LA Through Utility Bill Analysis.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shonder, John A; Hughes, Patrick

2006-01-01

Energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) are a method of financing energy conservation projects using the energy cost savings generated by the conservation measures themselves. Ideally, reduced energy costs are visible as reduced utility bills, but in fact this is not always the case. On large military bases, for example, a single electric meter typically covers hundreds of individual buildings. Savings from an ESPC involving only a small number of these buildings will have little effect on the overall utility bill. In fact, changes in mission, occupancy, and energy prices could cause substantial increases in utility bills. For this reason, other,more » more practical, methods have been developed to measure and verify savings in ESPC projects. Nevertheless, increasing utility bills--when ESPCs are expected to be reducing them--are problematic and can lead some observers to question whether savings are actually being achieved. In this paper, the authors use utility bill analysis to determine energy, demand, and cost savings from an ESPC project that installed geothermal heat pumps in the family housing areas of the military base at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The savings estimates for the first year after the retrofits were found to be in substantial agreement with previous estimates that were based on submetered data. However, the utility bills also show that electrical use tended to increase as time went on. Since other data show that the energy use in family housing has remained about the same over the period, the authors conclude that the savings from the ESPC have persisted, and increases in electrical use must be due to loads unassociated with family housing. This shows that under certain circumstances, and with the proper analysis, utility bills can be used to estimate savings from ESPC projects. However, these circumstances are rare and over time the comparison may be invalidated by increases in energy use in areas unaffected by the ESPC.« less

DOD fuel cell demonstration program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holcomb, F.H.; Binder, M.J.; Taylor, W.R.

The supply of reliable, cost-effective electric power with minimal environmental impact is a constant concern of Department of Defense (DOD) installation energy personnel. Electricity purchased from the local utility is expensive and represents only about 30% of the original energy input at the generating station due to generation and distribution inefficiencies. Because of master metering and large air conditioning loads, the demand portion of the installation`s electric bill can be in excess of 50% of the total bill. While the electric utilities in the United States have a very good record of reliability, there is significant potential for improving themore » security of electrical power supplied by using on-site power generation. On-site, dispersed power generation can reduce power outages due to weather, terrorist activities, or lack of utility generating capacity. In addition, as increased emphasis is placed on global warming, acid rain, and air pollution in general, the development of clean, highly efficient power producing technologies is not only desirable, but mandatory. Since the majority of central heat plants on U.S. military installations are nearing the end of their useful life, there is an opportunity to replace outdated existing equipment with modem technologies.« less

41 CFR 102-118.80 - Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... electronic transportation billing documents to: General Services Administration Transportation Audit Division... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records? 102-118.80 Section 102-118.80...

41 CFR 102-118.80 - Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... electronic transportation billing documents to: General Services Administration Transportation Audit Division... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records? 102-118.80 Section 102-118.80...

41 CFR 102-118.80 - Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... electronic transportation billing documents to: General Services Administration Transportation Audit Division... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records? 102-118.80 Section 102-118.80...

41 CFR 102-118.80 - Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... electronic transportation billing documents to: General Services Administration Transportation Audit Division... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records? 102-118.80 Section 102-118.80...

41 CFR 102-118.80 - Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... electronic transportation billing documents to: General Services Administration Transportation Audit Division... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Who is responsible for keeping my agency's electronic commerce transportation billing records? 102-118.80 Section 102-118.80...

25 CFR 175.30 - Billing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER INDIAN ELECTRIC POWER UTILITIES Billing, Payments, and... determined from the register on the utility's meter at the customer's point of delivery. A reasonable estimate of the amount of energy and/or power demand may be made by the utility in the event a meter is...

Utility bill comprehension in the commercial and industrialsector: results of field research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Payne, Christopher T.

2000-06-02

This paper presents the results of interviews conducted with 44 business people in 10 states to examine the use of the utility bill as an information mechanism for providing businesses with the relationship between energy consumption and cost. Our results indicate that there are significant barriers to the use of the utility bill as an information tool for energy consumers. Furthermore, we found significant variations among respondents in the information desired from the bill, and differences in decision-making criteria for investments aimed at reducing energy consumption and for those aimed at other forms of waste minimization. These results call intomore » question the applicability of standard market theories in the purchase of energy by most businesses.« less

9 CFR 381.175 - Records required to be kept.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... slaughter. (b) The required records are: (1) Records, such as bills of sale, invoices, bills of lading, and... § 381.144. (3) Records of canning as required by subpart X of this part 381, of subchapter C, 9 CFR... 47 FR 746, Jan. 7, 1982; 49 FR 2236, Jan. 19, 1984; 51 FR 45633, Dec. 19, 1986; 57 FR 43600, Sept. 21...

NREL Improves Building Energy Simulation Programs Through Diagnostic Testing (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2012-01-01

This technical highlight describes NREL research to develop Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes (BESTEST-EX) to increase the quality and accuracy of energy analysis tools for the building retrofit market. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a new test procedure to increase the quality and accuracy of energy analysis tools for the building retrofit market. The Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes (BESTEST-EX) is a test procedure that enables software developers to evaluate the performance of their audit tools in modeling energy use and savings in existing homes when utility bills are available formore » model calibration. Similar to NREL's previous energy analysis tests, such as HERS BESTEST and other BESTEST suites included in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140, BESTEST-EX compares software simulation findings to reference results generated with state-of-the-art simulation tools such as EnergyPlus, SUNREL, and DOE-2.1E. The BESTEST-EX methodology: (1) Tests software predictions of retrofit energy savings in existing homes; (2) Ensures building physics calculations and utility bill calibration procedures perform to a minimum standard; and (3) Quantifies impacts of uncertainties in input audit data and occupant behavior. BESTEST-EX includes building physics and utility bill calibration test cases. The diagram illustrates the utility bill calibration test cases. Participants are given input ranges and synthetic utility bills. Software tools use the utility bills to calibrate key model inputs and predict energy savings for the retrofit cases. Participant energy savings predictions using calibrated models are compared to NREL predictions using state-of-the-art building energy simulation programs.« less

The Police and Criminal Evidence Bill under attack.

PubMed

Deitch, Rodney

1983-03-26

The British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners are among groups objecting to the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill scheduled to reach the House of Lords in May 1983. A clause in the bill would allow police access, with the permission of a circuit judge, to the records of doctors, solicitors, and members of the clergy. Medical organizations are concerned about the impact on health care if the confidential physician patient relationship is threatened and doctors become reluctant to keep detailed records. Strong opposition to the bill is expected in the House of Lords.

Are anesthesia start and end times randomly distributed? The influence of electronic records.

PubMed

Deal, Litisha G; Nyland, Michael E; Gravenstein, Nikolaus; Tighe, Patrick

2014-06-01

To perform a frequency analysis of start minute digits (SMD) and end minute digits (EMD) taken from the electronic, computer-assisted, and manual anesthesia billing-record systems. Retrospective cross-sectional review. University medical center. This cross-sectional review was conducted on billing records from a single healthcare institution over a 15-month period. A total of 30,738 cases were analyzed. For each record, the start time and end time were recorded. Distributions of SMD and EMD were tested against the null hypothesis of a frequency distribution equivalently spread between zero and nine. SMD and EMD aggregate distributions each differed from equivalency (P < 0.0001). When stratified by type of anesthetic record, no differences were found between the recorded and expected equivalent distribution patterns for electronic anesthesia records for start minute (P < 0.98) or end minute (P < 0.55). Manual and computer-assisted records maintained nonequivalent distribution patterns for SMD and EMD (P < 0.0001 for each comparison). Comparison of cumulative distributions between SMD and EMD distributions suggested a significant difference between the two patterns (P < 0.0001). An electronic anesthesia record system, with automated time capture of events verified by the user, produces a more unified distribution of billing times than do more traditional methods of entering billing times. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Access to records bill set to become law.

PubMed

1988-05-28

The Access to Medical Records Bill, which would give patients the right to see their medical references sent by GPs to insurance companies or employers, has a good chance of becoming law after receiving an unopposed Second Reading in the House of Lords.

20 CFR 30.701 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false How are medical bills to be submitted? 30.701... EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM ACT OF 2000, AS AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 30.701 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for...

20 CFR 30.701 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2014-04-01 2012-04-01 true How are medical bills to be submitted? 30.701... EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM ACT OF 2000, AS AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 30.701 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for...

20 CFR 30.701 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false How are medical bills to be submitted? 30.701... EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM ACT OF 2000, AS AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 30.701 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for...

20 CFR 30.701 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true How are medical bills to be submitted? 30.701... EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM ACT OF 2000, AS AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 30.701 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for...

20 CFR 30.701 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How are medical bills to be submitted? 30.701... EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM ACT OF 2000, AS AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 30.701 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for...

9 CFR 381.175 - Records required to be kept.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... are: (1) Records, such as bills of sale, invoices, bills of lading, and receiving and shipping papers... by subpart X of this part 381, of subchapter C, 9 CFR chapter III. (4) Records of irradiation as..., Jan. 19, 1984; 51 FR 45633, Dec. 19, 1986; 57 FR 43600, Sept. 21, 1992; 58 FR 675, Jan. 6, 1993; 60 FR...

20 CFR 10.801 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true How are medical bills to be submitted? 10.801... AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 10.801 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for medical and surgical treatment, appliances or supplies furnished to injured...

20 CFR 10.801 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false How are medical bills to be submitted? 10.801... AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 10.801 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for medical and surgical treatment, appliances or supplies furnished to injured...

20 CFR 10.801 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2014-04-01 2012-04-01 true How are medical bills to be submitted? 10.801... AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 10.801 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for medical and surgical treatment, appliances or supplies furnished to injured...

20 CFR 10.801 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false How are medical bills to be submitted? 10.801... AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 10.801 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for medical and surgical treatment, appliances or supplies furnished to injured...

20 CFR 10.801 - How are medical bills to be submitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How are medical bills to be submitted? 10.801... AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Records and Bills § 10.801 How are medical bills to be submitted? (a) All charges for medical and surgical treatment, appliances or supplies furnished to injured...

75 FR 79345 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-20

... accounting system for health care billing practices. It shall assist military treatment facilities in the... accounting system for health care billing practices. It shall assist military treatment facilities in the...; System of Records AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Defense, DoD. ACTION: Notice to Alter a System of...

The effect of information on household water and energy use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hans, Liesel

Water and Energy Utilities are faced with growing demand at a time when supply expansion is increasingly costly, inconsistent and taxing on the environment. Given that supply expansion is limited, to meet future needs utilities need demand-side management policies to result in more reliable and consistent consumer responsiveness. Currently, most households do not have access to the level or type of information needed to respond to price signals in a reliable and effective way. Advanced information technology solutions exist and are being increasingly adopted, but we need to know more about how the informational setting affects decision-making, consumption levels and price responsiveness. This research analyzes the effect of information on household water and energy consumption, which is a decision-making environment characterized by uncertainty and imperfect information. This study also analyzes additional complexities stemming from infrequent billing, non-linear pricing structures, and combined utility bills, each of which may dampen price signals. I first develop a theoretical model of decision-making under uncertainty. I use this model to illustrate the effect of more frequent information, which eliminates uncertainty about past decisions, on remaining decisions within the billing period. The model emphasizes the role of risk preferences and the realization of the uncertain quantity. On average, risk averse consumers will increase consumption when uncertainty is reduced; risk seeking consumers will do the opposite. Introduction of a non-linear rate structure induces behavior that makes individuals appear as if they are risk averse or risk seeking, despite their actual risk preferences. This model highlights the importance of modeling multiple decisions within a billing period and accounting for a spectrum of risk preferences. In Chapter 3, I create a computerized laboratory experiment designed to generate data used to test some of the hypotheses formulated in the theoretical model presented in Chapter 2. Results from the experiment show that, on average, individuals consume more when provided with more frequent information that resolves uncertainty about past decisions made within a single billing period. This result is driven by the fact that the majority of participants are risk averse or risk neutral. Risk seeking participants instead reduce use when facing less uncertainty. Also as predicted by the theoretical model in Chapter 2, combining behavior driven by risk preferences with the presence of an increasing block rate structure results in behavior that looks like consumers are targeting the block boundary. This experiment shows that providing more information may not lead to reduced use without other incentives, goal-setting, or mechanisms designed to help individuals process the information. In Chapter 4, I empirically analyze a ten-year household-level panel data set of monthly utility bills. A single utility provides electricity, natural gas and water services to its customers and therefore bills through a single utility bill. I first show that price responsiveness varies by the number and combination of services subscribed to by a given household. Second, through a price salience model I show that households are more responsive to the price of water when the water portion of the total bill is greater. When multiple services are contained on a single bill, the salience of any individual price signal is dampened. This study confirms that households are inelastic though not unresponsive to water prices. In order to make pricing policies more effective, utilities need to acknowledge that households may be responding to total utility costs (i.e., may respond to a high utility bill by reducing electricity use despite the true driver of the high bill) and will need to find ways to make quantity and price information more salient to their customers. Chapter 5 concludes this dissertation by summarizing the contributions of the research and possible extensions for future work. By improving the informational environment surrounding household water and energy use, there will be great capacity for households to use water and energy more efficiently and ultimately make choices that reduce residential water/energy consumption and yield benefits for customers, utilities, and the environment.

Are psychoanalytic billing practices ethical?

PubMed

Blackmon, W D

1993-01-01

The changing climate of "health care reform" and increased third-party intrusion into psychotherapy are raising challenges over the ethics of traditional psychoanalytic practices such as billing for missed sessions. The practice of billing for missed sessions is an integral part of some analytic psychotherapies and forms the basis of the field of operation of many therapies. When used in this way, the billing practices are unique in medicine in that only these therapies use billing as a part of treatment. This practice is used for a variety of practical reasons but especially to emphasize to patients that the therapy occurs in their internal lives and addresses the symbols they use in organizing their world view. The symbolic use of a time commitment and the obligation to pay for that commitment are necessary so as not to present the patient with a contaminated field of operation. In this way the practice is similar to many other areas of medicine, such as surgeries that are viewed as global procedures whose billing allows for time that is not actually spent in contact with patients. This paper discusses the clinical rationale for the ability to bill for missed sessions and its ethics in terms of the newer language of utilization review. By laying down the principle of billing as a practice parameter for an open-ended bundled service that is billed globally the author translates the practice into more modern utilization-review terminology.

Automating payroll, billing, and medical records. Using technology to do more with less.

PubMed

Vetter, E

1995-08-01

As home care agencies grow, so does the need to streamline the paperwork involved in running an agency. One agency found a way to reduce its payroll, billing, and medical records paperwork by implementing an automated, image-based data collection system that saves time, money, and paper.

40 CFR 98.33 - Calculating GHG emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... except when natural gas billing records are used to quantify fuel usage and gas consumption is expressed... consumption is obtained from billing records and fuelusage is expressed in therms, use Equation C-1a. ER17DE10... × 10−3 = Conversion factor from kilograms to metric tons. (iii) If natural gas consumption is obtained...

31 CFR 357.20 - Securities account in Legacy Treasury Direct ®.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... number. (c) If a bill is transferred from one Legacy Treasury Direct account to another, the price shown...-ENTRY TREASURY BONDS, NOTES AND BILLS HELD IN TREASURY/RESERVE AUTOMATED DEBT ENTRY SYSTEM (TRADES) AND... securities portfolio associated with an account master record. (c) Account master record. In order for a...

31 CFR 357.20 - Securities account in Legacy Treasury Direct ®.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... number. (c) If a bill is transferred from one Legacy Treasury Direct account to another, the price shown... BOOK-ENTRY TREASURY BONDS, NOTES AND BILLS HELD IN TREASURY/RESERVE AUTOMATED DEBT ENTRY SYSTEM (TRADES... the securities portfolio associated with an account master record. (c) Account master record. In order...

31 CFR 357.20 - Securities account in Legacy Treasury Direct ®.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... number. (c) If a bill is transferred from one Legacy Treasury Direct account to another, the price shown...-ENTRY TREASURY BONDS, NOTES AND BILLS HELD IN TREASURY/RESERVE AUTOMATED DEBT ENTRY SYSTEM (TRADES) AND... securities portfolio associated with an account master record. (c) Account master record. In order for a...

31 CFR 357.20 - Securities account in Legacy Treasury Direct ®.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... number. (c) If a bill is transferred from one Legacy Treasury Direct account to another, the price shown...-ENTRY TREASURY BONDS, NOTES AND BILLS HELD IN TREASURY/RESERVE AUTOMATED DEBT ENTRY SYSTEM (TRADES) AND... securities portfolio associated with an account master record. (c) Account master record. In order for a...

40 CFR 98.33 - Calculating GHG emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... consumption is expressed in units of therms or million Btu. In that case, use Equation C-1a or C-1b, as.... (ii) If natural gas consumption is obtained from billing records and fuel usage is expressed in therms... gas consumption is obtained from billing records and fuel usage is expressed in mmBtu, use Equation C...

40 CFR 98.33 - Calculating GHG emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... consumption is expressed in units of therms or million Btu. In that case, use Equation C-1a or C-1b, as.... (ii) If natural gas consumption is obtained from billing records and fuel usage is expressed in therms... gas consumption is obtained from billing records and fuel usage is expressed in mmBtu, use Equation C...

40 CFR 98.33 - Calculating GHG emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... consumption is expressed in units of therms or million Btu. In that case, use Equation C-1a or C-1b, as.... (ii) If natural gas consumption is obtained from billing records and fuel usage is expressed in therms... gas consumption is obtained from billing records and fuel usage is expressed in mmBtu, use Equation C...

Probabilistic techniques for obtaining accurate patient counts in Clinical Data Warehouses

PubMed Central

Myers, Risa B.; Herskovic, Jorge R.

2011-01-01

Proposal and execution of clinical trials, computation of quality measures and discovery of correlation between medical phenomena are all applications where an accurate count of patients is needed. However, existing sources of this type of patient information, including Clinical Data Warehouses (CDW) may be incomplete or inaccurate. This research explores applying probabilistic techniques, supported by the MayBMS probabilistic database, to obtain accurate patient counts from a clinical data warehouse containing synthetic patient data. We present a synthetic clinical data warehouse (CDW), and populate it with simulated data using a custom patient data generation engine. We then implement, evaluate and compare different techniques for obtaining patients counts. We model billing as a test for the presence of a condition. We compute billing’s sensitivity and specificity both by conducting a “Simulated Expert Review” where a representative sample of records are reviewed and labeled by experts, and by obtaining the ground truth for every record. We compute the posterior probability of a patient having a condition through a “Bayesian Chain”, using Bayes’ Theorem to calculate the probability of a patient having a condition after each visit. The second method is a “one-shot” approach that computes the probability of a patient having a condition based on whether the patient is ever billed for the condition Our results demonstrate the utility of probabilistic approaches, which improve on the accuracy of raw counts. In particular, the simulated review paired with a single application of Bayes’ Theorem produces the best results, with an average error rate of 2.1% compared to 43.7% for the straightforward billing counts. Overall, this research demonstrates that Bayesian probabilistic approaches improve patient counts on simulated patient populations. We believe that total patient counts based on billing data are one of the many possible applications of our Bayesian framework. Use of these probabilistic techniques will enable more accurate patient counts and better results for applications requiring this metric. PMID:21986292

An evaluation of self-reported mobile phone use compared to billing records among a group of engineers and scientists.

PubMed

Shum, Mona; Kelsh, Michael A; Sheppard, Asher R; Zhao, Ke

2011-01-01

Most epidemiologic studies of potential health impacts of mobile phones rely on self-reported information, which can lead to exposure misclassification. We compared self-reported questionnaire data among 60 participants, and phone billing records over a 3-year period (2002-2004). Phone usage information was compared by the calculation of the mean and median number of calls and duration of use, as well as correlation coefficients and associated P-values. Average call duration from self-reports was slightly lower than billing records (2.1 min vs. 2.8 min, P = 0.01). Participants reported a higher number of average daily calls than billing records (7.9 vs. 4.1, P = 0.002). Correlation coefficients for average minutes per day of mobile phone use and average number of calls per day were relatively high (R = 0.71 and 0.69, respectively, P < 0.001). Information reported at the monthly level tended to be more accurate than estimates of weekly or daily use. Our findings of modest correlations between self-reported mobile phone usage and billing records and substantial variability in recall are consistent with previous studies. However, the direction of over- and under-reporting was not consistent with previous research. We did not observe increased variability over longer periods of recall or a pattern of lower accuracy among older age groups compared with younger groups. Study limitations included a relatively small sample size, low participation rates, and potential limited generalizability. The variability within studies and non-uniformity across studies indicates that estimation of the frequency and duration of phone use by questionnaires should be supplemented with subscriber records whenever practical. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A single question about a respondent's perceived financial ability to pay monthly bills explains more variance in health utility scores than absolute income and assets questions.

PubMed

Hanmer, Janel; Cherepanov, Dasha

2016-09-01

To evaluate a general question about ability to meet monthly bills as an alternative to direct questions about income and assets in health utility studies. We used data from the National Health Measurement Study-a US nationally representative telephone survey collected in 2005-2006. It included health utility measures (EuroQol-5D-3L, Health Utilities Index Mark 3, Short Form-6D, and Quality of Well-being Index) and household income, assets, and financial ability to meet monthly bills questions. Each utility score was regressed on: income and assets (Model 1); difficulty paying bills (DPB) (Model 2); income, assets, and DPB (Model 3). All models used survey weights and adjusted for demographics and education. Among 3666 respondents, as income and assets increased, DPB decreased. The DPB question had fewer missing values (n = 30) than income (n = 311) or assets (n = 373). Model 2 (DPB only) explained more variance in health utility than Model 1 (income and assets only). Including all measures (Model 3) had very modest improvement in R (2), e.g., values were 0.112 (Model 1), 0.166 (Model 2), and 0.175 (Model 3) for EuroQol-5D-3L. The single question on DPB yields more information and has less missing values than the traditionally used income and assets questions.

Pediatric primary care psychologists' reported level of integration, billing practices, and reimbursement frequency.

PubMed

Riley, Andrew R; Grennan, Allison; Menousek, Kathryn; Hoffses, Kathryn W

2018-03-01

Integration of psychological services into pediatric primary care is increasingly common, but models of integration vary with regard to their level of coordination, colocation, and integration. High-integration models may provide some distinct advantages, such as preventative care and brief consultation for subclinical behavior concerns; however, psychologists face barriers to seeking reimbursement for these services. Alternatives to traditional psychotherapy and psychological testing codes, specifically Health & Behavior (H&B) codes, have been proposed as 1 method for supporting integrated care. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between psychologists' reported billing practices, reimbursement rates, and model of integration in pediatric primary care. As part of a larger survey study, 55 psychologists working in pediatric primary care reported on characteristics of their practice's model of integration, billing practices, and frequency of reimbursement for consultative services. Compared with those who categorized their integrated care model as colocated, psychologists who endorsed working in integrated models reported a significantly higher usage of H&B codes and more frequent reimbursement for consultations. Overall, use of H&B codes was associated with higher reported levels of coordination and integration. Survey results showed a clear pattern of higher integration being associated with greater utilization of H&B codes and better reimbursement for consultation activities. These results underscore the importance of establishing and maintaining billing and reimbursement systems that adequately support integrated care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Energy consumption behavior in the commercial sector: An ethnographic analysis of utility bill information and customer comprehension in the workplace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, Christopher Todd

The commercial and industrial sectors of the United States compose roughly one-third of total United States energy consumption. Many studies have suggested that significant cost-effective energy savings opportunities exist in this sector, but there is a gap between predictions of potential and actual investment in energy-efficient technologies. Very few studies have been conducted to examine the decision-making environment of the business sector. In particular, there is essentially no information about how small-business decision-makers make choices about energy consumption. My research is intended to begin the process of understanding this important arena of energy consumption behavior. Using semi-structured interview techniques, I interviewed forty-four businesses in ten states. The focus of the interviews was the business decision-maker's handling and use of the utility bill---the main (often sole) piece of information that links energy consumption to cost. Through the interviews, I collected information about how utility bills are understood and misunderstood, what components of the bill are seen as useful or confusing, and how energy consumption was seen in the context of larger business decision-making. In addition, I collected data on two forms of energy consumption feedback: historic consumption feedback, in which informants compared their current energy use to patterns of their own energy consumption over time; and group comparison consumption feedback, in which informants compared their energy consumption to the consumption of a group of similar energy consumers. Finally, I collected data on sources of information to which decision-makers turned when they wanted to seek more information about energy consumption alternatives. Overall, my findings suggest that the current utility bill format is often misunderstood. In many cases, particularly in the small-business and medium-size-business categories, the link between energy consumption and energy cost is broken. The result is a sense of disempowerment for many consumers. Rather than seeing their energy consumption as something under their control, they instead view the energy bill as an unavoidable component of operating a business, comparing it to other required expenses like rent or taxes. Reaction to changes in the utility bill to provide consumption feedback were mixed. Improvements to self-comparison information provided on the bill were generally viewed positively. On the other hand, energy consumption comparisons with similar groups of customers were viewed with a great deal of skepticism. The idea of group comparison was generally discarded as impractical or invalid. This research improves academic understanding of the energy consumption decision-making environment in the business sector. By developing a better understanding of the context in which these energy consumption decisions are made, the research suggests opportunities for improvements to the mechanisms by which business decision-makers gain information about energy consumption alternatives and energy efficiency opportunities. Improvements to the information provided on the utility bill could enhance the linkage between energy consumption and energy cost for commercial-sector decision-makers, particularly in the small business sector. This could, in turn, lead to greater attention to economic opportunities for energy consumption reduction. Ultimately, improved utility bill information could result in energy and cost savings to business consumers.

47 CFR 42.6 - Retention of telephone toll records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... telephone toll calls: the name, address, and telephone number of the caller, telephone number called, date, time and length of the call. Each carrier shall retain this information for toll calls that it bills whether it is billing its own toll service customers for toll calls or billing customers for another...

High utilizers of medical care: a crucial subgroup among somatizing patients.

PubMed

Hiller, Wolfgang; Fichter, Manfred M

2004-04-01

Patients with somatoform disorders (SFD) are likely to overutilize healthcare services. This study investigates (a) whether extraordinarily high medical costs can be predicted from patient characteristics or psychopathology, and (b) whether high-utilizing patients respond differently to cognitive-behavioral treatment. We compared 42 SFD high utilizers with 53 SFD average utilizers and 29 patients suffering from other than SFD mental disorders. High utilization was defined by healthcare expenditures of > or = 2500 euros during the past 2 years. Costs were computed from medical and billing records of health insurance companies. Somatization distress, hypochondriasis, depression, dysfunctional cognitions related to bodily symptoms, general psychopathology, personality profiles, and psychosocial disabilities were assessed before treatment. High utilizers had higher levels of self- and observer-rated illness behavior, self-perceived bodily weakness, and psychosocial disabilities. Although they did not report more somatization symptoms, their subjective symptom distress was higher. There were no differences between high and average utilizers concerning general psychopathology, DSM-IV comorbidity, and personality profiles. Treatment improvements were similar. High- and average-utilizing somatizers represent distinguishable subgroups. The results emphasize the importance of mechanisms specifically related to SFD and may enhance the early detection of patients who are likely to develop overutilization. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Inc.

An Integrated Cardiology Patient Management System

PubMed Central

Kiely, F. Michael

1988-01-01

An integrated clinical database has been developed for all diagnostic cardiac services at Vancouver General Hospital. The system is installed on a Data General MV/10000 computer and utilizes the Flagship Application Generator from EPIC Systems Corp. Clinical information, as well as demographic and administrative data, is collected. The system features a custom menu for each user, whose selections provide direct access to the desired functional modules. The intention is to collect data from all the diagnostic areas of the Division of Cardiology, viz., Cardiac Ultrasound, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Pacemaker Clinic and Electrocardiology (including 24 hour ambulatory EKGs and exercise testing). Automated links to the hospital's Admitting/Discharge/Transfer and Billing/Accounts Receivable systems have been implemented over the hospital's local area network. The system is used to produce routine reports of test results, patient billings, and departmental workload statistics. Inquiry functions permit the rapid location of patient records and produce an integrated profile of cardiology activity. In addition, selective searches of the data are available for research and/or other purposes.

Cost Avoidance vs. Utility Bill Accounting - Explaining theDiscrepancy Between Guaranteed Savings in ESPC Projects and UtilityBills

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, S.; Sartor, D.

2005-08-15

Federal agencies often ask if Energy Savings PerformanceContracts (ESPCs) result in the energy and cost savings projected duringthe project development phase. After investing in ESPCs, federal agenciesexpect a reduction in the total energy use and energy cost at the agencylevel. Such questions about the program are common when implementing anESPC project. But is this a fair or accurate perception? Moreimportantly, should the federal agencies evaluate the success or failureof ESPCs by comparing the utility costs before and after projectimplementation?In fact, ESPC contracts employ measurement andverification (M&V) protocols to measure and ensure kilowatt-hour orBTU savings at the project level. In mostmore » cases, the translation toenergy cost savings is not based on actual utility rate structure, but acontracted utility rate that takes the existing utility rate at the timethe contract is signed with a clause to escalate the utility rate by afixed percentage for the duration of the contract. Reporting mechanisms,which advertise these savings in dollars, may imply an impact to budgetsat a much higher level depending on actual utility rate structure. FEMPhas prepared the following analysis to explain why the utility billreduction may not materialize, demonstrate its larger implication onagency s energy reduction goals, and advocate setting the rightexpectations at the outset to preempt the often asked question why I amnot seeing the savings in my utility bill?« less

Analysis of Human Mobility Based on Cellular Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arifiansyah, F.; Saptawati, G. A. P.

2017-01-01

Nowadays not only adult but even teenager and children have then own mobile phones. This phenomena indicates that the mobile phone becomes an important part of everyday’s life. Based on these indication, the amount of cellular data also increased rapidly. Cellular data defined as the data that records communication among mobile phone users. Cellular data is easy to obtain because the telecommunications company had made a record of the data for the billing system of the company. Billing data keeps a log of the users cellular data usage each time. We can obtained information from the data about communication between users. Through data visualization process, an interesting pattern can be seen in the raw cellular data, so that users can obtain prior knowledge to perform data analysis. Cellular data processing can be done using data mining to find out human mobility patterns and on the existing data. In this paper, we use frequent pattern mining and finding association rules to observe the relation between attributes in cellular data and then visualize them. We used weka tools for finding the rules in stage of data mining. Generally, the utilization of cellular data can provide supporting information for the decision making process and become a data support to provide solutions and information needed by the decision makers.

Impact of Rate Design Alternatives on Residential Solar Customer Bills. Increased Fixed Charges, Minimum Bills and Demand-based Rates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bird, Lori; Davidson, Carolyn; McLaren, Joyce

With rapid growth in energy efficiency and distributed generation, electric utilities are anticipating stagnant or decreasing electricity sales, particularly in the residential sector. Utilities are increasingly considering alternative rates structures that are designed to recover fixed costs from residential solar photovoltaic (PV) customers with low net electricity consumption. Proposed structures have included fixed charge increases, minimum bills, and increasingly, demand rates - for net metered customers and all customers. This study examines the electricity bill implications of various residential rate alternatives for multiple locations within the United States. For the locations analyzed, the results suggest that residential PV customers offset,more » on average, between 60% and 99% of their annual load. However, roughly 65% of a typical customer's electricity demand is non-coincidental with PV generation, so the typical PV customer is generally highly reliant on the grid for pooling services.« less

Election-Year Bonus: Glossary of Congressional Terms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Social Education, 1978

1978-01-01

The glossary present definitions of over 120 political terms, including appropriation bill, budget, contract authorizations, congressional record, minority leader, override a veto, readings of bills, point of order, and adjournment sine die. (DB)

Can use of an administrative database improve accuracy of hospital-reported readmission rates?

PubMed

Edgerton, James R; Herbert, Morley A; Hamman, Baron L; Ring, W Steves

2018-05-01

Readmission rates after cardiac surgery are being used as a quality indicator; they are also being collected by Medicare and are tied to reimbursement. Accurate knowledge of readmission rates may be difficult to achieve because patients may be readmitted to different hospitals. In our area, 81 hospitals share administrative claims data; 28 of these hospitals (from 5 different hospital systems) do cardiac surgery and share Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) clinical data. We used these 2 sources to compare the readmissions data for accuracy. A total of 45,539 STS records from January 2008 to December 2016 were matched with the hospital billing data records. Using the index visit as the start date, the billing records were queried for any subsequent in-patient visits for that patient. The billing records included date of readmission and hospital of readmission data and were compared with the data captured in the STS record. We found 1153 (2.5%) patients who had STS records that were marked "No" or "missing," but there were billing records that showed a readmission. The reported STS readmission rate of 4796 (10.5%) underreported the readmission rate by 2.5 actual percentage points. The true rate should have been 13.0%. Actual readmission rate was 23.8% higher than reported by the clinical database. Approximately 36% of readmissions were to a hospital that was a part of a different hospital system. It is important to know accurate readmission rates for quality improvement processes and institutional financial planning. Matching patient records to an administrative database showed that the clinical database may fail to capture many readmissions. Combining data with an administrative database can enhance accuracy of reporting. Copyright © 2017 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bonneville, Power Administration Timing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Kenneth E.

1996-01-01

Time is an integral part of the Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) operational systems. Generation and power transfers are planned in advance. Utilities coordinate with each other by making these adjustments on a timed schedule. Price varies with demand, so billing is based on time. Outages for maintenance are scheduled to assure they do not interrupt reliable power delivery. Disturbance records are aligned with recorded timetags for analysis and comparison with related information. Advanced applications like traveling wave fault location and real-time phase measurement require continuous timing with high precision. Most of BPA is served by a Central Time System (CTS) at the Dittmer Control Center near Portland, OR. This system keeps time locally and supplies time to both the control center systems and field locations via a microwave signal. It is kept synchronized to national standard time and coordinated with interconnected utilities. It is the official BPA time. Powwer system control and operation is described, followed by a description of BPA timing systems including CTS, the Fault Location Acquisition Reporter, time dissemination, and phasor measurements. References are provided for further reading.

76 FR 67257 - Computer Matching Program Between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-31

... for or who are receiving education benefit payments under the Montgomery GI Bill. The purpose of the... for and/or are receiving, or have received education benefit payments under the Post-9/11 GI Bill... of Defense with VA records of benefit recipients under the Montgomery GI Bill. The goal of these...

Paycheck Fairness Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Mikulski, Barbara A. [D-MD

2014-04-01

Senate - 09/15/2014 Cloture on the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 40. Record Vote Number: 262. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

CSA2012

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [ID-CT

2012-07-19

Senate - 11/14/2012 Upon reconsideration, cloture on the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 47. Record Vote Number: 202. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Economic Development Revitalization Act of 2011

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA

2011-04-08

Senate - 06/21/2011 Cloture on the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 51. Record Vote Number: 94. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Hagan, Kay R. [D-NC

2014-05-20

Senate - 07/10/2014 Cloture on the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 41 - 56. Record Vote Number: 220. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Concordance of chart and billing data with direct observation in dental practice.

PubMed

Demko, Catherine A; Victoroff, Kristin Zakariasen; Wotman, Stephen

2008-10-01

The commonly used methods of chart review, billing data summaries and practitioner self-reporting have not been examined for their ability to validly and reliably represent time use and service delivery in routine dental practice. A more thorough investigation of these data sources would provide insight into the appropriateness of each approach for measuring various clinical behaviors. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of commonly used methods such as dental chart review, billing data, or practitioner self-report compared with a 'gold standard' of information derived from direct observation of routine dental visits. A team of trained dental hygienists directly observed 3751 patient visits in 120 dental practices and recorded the behaviors and procedures performed by dentists and hygienists during patient contact time. Following each visit, charts and billing records were reviewed for the performed and billed procedures. Dental providers characterized their frequency of preventive service delivery through self-administered surveys. We standardized the observation and abstraction methods to obtain optimal measures from each of the multiple data sources. Multi-rater kappa coefficients were computed to monitor standardization, while sensitivity, specificity, and kappa coefficients were calculated to compare the various data sources with direct observation. Chart audits were more sensitive than billing data for all observed procedures and demonstrated higher agreement with directly observed data. Chart and billing records were not sensitive for several prevention-related tasks (oral cancer screening and oral hygiene instruction). Provider self-reports of preventive behaviors were always over-estimated compared with direct observation. Inter-method reliability kappa coefficients for 13 procedures ranged from 0.197 to 0.952. These concordance findings suggest that strengths and weaknesses of data collection sources should be considered when investigating delivery of dental services especially when using practitioner survey data. Future investigations can more fully rely on charted information rather than billing data and provider self-report for most dental procedures, but nonbillable procedures and most counseling interactions will not be captured with routine charting and billing practices.

Paycheck Fairness Act

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2010-09-13

Senate - 11/17/2010 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 58 - 41. Record Vote Number: 249. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Development of an integrated utilities billing management system for the Navy Public Works Center San Diego, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monsabert, S. de; Lemmer, H.; Dinwiddie, D.

1995-10-01

In the past, most buildings, structures, and ship visits were not metered, and flat estimates were calculated based on various estimating techniques. The decomposition process was further complicated by the fact that many of the meters monitor consumption values only and do not provide demand or time of use data. This method of billing provides no incentives to the PWC customers to implement energy conservation programs, including load shedding, Energy Monitoring and Control Systems (EMCS), building shell improvements, low flow toilets and shower heads, efficient lighting systems, or other energy savings alternatives. Similarly, the method had no means of adjustmentmore » for seasonal or climatic variations outside of the norm. As an alternative to flat estimates, the Customized Utility Billing Integrated Control (CUBIC) system and the Graphical Data Input System (GDIS) were developed to better manage the data to the major claimant area users based on utilities usage factors, building size, weather data, and hours of operation. GDIS is a graphical database that assists PWC engineers in the development and maintenance of single-line utility diagrams of the facilities and meters. It functions as a drawing associate system and is written in AutoLISP for AutoCAD version 12. GDIS interprets the drawings and provides the facility-to-meter and meter-to-meter hierarchy data that are used by the CUBIC to allocate the billings. This paper reviews the design, development and implementation aspects of CUBIC/GDIS and discusses the benefits of this improved utilities management system.« less

Impact of Alternative Rate Structures on Distributed Solar Customer Electricity Bills

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McLaren, Joyce A

Electric utilities are increasingly proposing changes to residential rate structures, in order to address concerns about their inability to recover fixed system costs from customers with grid connected distributed generation. The most common proposals have been to increase fixed charges, set minimum bills or instigate residential demand charges. This presentation provides results of an analysis to explore how these rate design alternatives impact electricity bills for PV and non-PV customers.

7 CFR 57.200 - Records and related requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., or holding such articles so received, and all egg handlers, including hatcheries, shall maintain for... maintain production records as approved by the Administrator. The records (bills of sale, inventories...

Addressing medical coding and billing part II: a strategy for achieving compliance. A risk management approach for reducing coding and billing errors.

PubMed Central

Adams, Diane L.; Norman, Helen; Burroughs, Valentine J.

2002-01-01

Medical practice today, more than ever before, places greater demands on physicians to see more patients, provide more complex medical services and adhere to stricter regulatory rules, leaving little time for coding and billing. Yet, the need to adequately document medical records, appropriately apply billing codes and accurately charge insurers for medical services is essential to the medical practice's financial condition. Many physicians rely on office staff and billing companies to process their medical bills without ever reviewing the bills before they are submitted for payment. Some physicians may not be receiving the payment they deserve when they do not sufficiently oversee the medical practice's coding and billing patterns. This article emphasizes the importance of monitoring and auditing medical record documentation and coding application as a strategy for achieving compliance and reducing billing errors. When medical bills are submitted with missing and incorrect information, they may result in unpaid claims and loss of revenue to physicians. Addressing Medical Audits, Part I--A Strategy for Achieving Compliance--CMS, JCAHO, NCQA, published January 2002 in the Journal of the National Medical Association, stressed the importance of preparing the medical practice for audits. The article highlighted steps the medical practice can take to prepare for audits and presented examples of guidelines used by regulatory agencies to conduct both medical and financial audits. The Medicare Integrity Program was cited as an example of guidelines used by regulators to identify coding errors during an audit and deny payment to providers when improper billing occurs. For each denied claim, payments owed to the medical practice are are also denied. Health care is, no doubt, a costly endeavor for health care providers, consumers and insurers. The potential risk to physicians for improper billing may include loss of revenue, fraud investigations, financial sanction, disciplinary action and exclusion from participation in government programs. Part II of this article recommends an approach for assessing potential risk, preventing improper billing, and improving financial management of the medical practice. Images p432-a PMID:12078924

The Impact of Rate Design and Net Metering on the Bill Savings from Distributed PV for Residential Customers in California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley; Darghouth, Naim R.; Barbose, Galen

2011-06-01

Net metering has become a widespread mechanism in the U.S. for supporting customer adoption of distributed photovoltaics (PV), but has faced challenges as PV installations grow to a larger share of generation in a number of states. This paper examines the value of the bill savings that customers receive under net metering, and the associated role of retail rate design, based on a sample of approximately two hundred residential customers of California's two largest electric utilities. We find that the bill savings per kWh of PV electricity generated varies by more than a factor of four across the customers inmore » the sample, which is largely attributable to the inclining block structure of the utilities' residential retail rates. We also compare the bill savings under net metering to that received under three potential alternative compensation mechanisms, based on California's Market Price Referent (MPR). We find that net metering provides significantly greater bill savings than a full MPR-based feed-in tariff, but only modestly greater savings than alternative mechanisms under which hourly or monthly net excess generation is compensated at the MPR rate.« less

Variations in Medicare Reimbursement in Radiation Oncology: An Analysis of the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data Set

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vu, Charles C.; Lanni, Thomas B.; Robertson, John M., E-mail: JRobertson@beaumont.edu

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to summarize recently published data on Medicare reimbursement to individual radiation oncologists and to identify the causes of variation in Medicare reimbursement in radiation oncology. Methods and Materials: The Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File (POSPUF), which details nearly all services provided by radiation oncologists in 2012, was used for this study. The data were filtered and analyzed by physician and by billing code. Statistical analysis was performed to identify differences in reimbursements based on sex, rurality, billing of technical services, or location in a certificatemore » of need (CON) state. Results: There were 4135 radiation oncologists who received a total of $1,499,625,803 in payments from Medicare in 2012. Seventy-five percent of radiation oncologists were male. The median reimbursement was $146,453. The code with the highest total reimbursement was 77418 (radiation treatment delivery intensity modulated radiation therapy [IMRT]). The most commonly billed evaluation and management (E/M) code for new visits was 99205 (49%). The most commonly billed E/M code for established visits was 99213 (54%). Forty percent of providers billed none of their new office visits using 99205 (the highest E/M billing code), whereas 34% of providers billed all of their new office visits using 99205. For the 1510 radiation oncologists (37%) who billed technical services, median Medicare reimbursement was $606,008, compared with $93,921 for all other radiation oncologists (P<.001). On multivariate analysis, technical services billing (P<.001), male sex (P<.001), and rural location (P=.007) were predictive of higher Medicare reimbursement. Conclusions: The billing of technical services, with their high capital and labor overhead requirements, limits any comparison in reimbursement between individual radiation oncologists or between radiation oncologists and other specialists. Male sex and rural practice location are independent predictors of higher total Medicare reimbursements.« less

Variations in Medicare Reimbursement in Radiation Oncology: An Analysis of the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data Set.

PubMed

Vu, Charles C; Lanni, Thomas B; Robertson, John M

2016-04-01

The purposes of this study were to summarize recently published data on Medicare reimbursement to individual radiation oncologists and to identify the causes of variation in Medicare reimbursement in radiation oncology. The Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File (POSPUF), which details nearly all services provided by radiation oncologists in 2012, was used for this study. The data were filtered and analyzed by physician and by billing code. Statistical analysis was performed to identify differences in reimbursements based on sex, rurality, billing of technical services, or location in a certificate of need (CON) state. There were 4135 radiation oncologists who received a total of $1,499,625,803 in payments from Medicare in 2012. Seventy-five percent of radiation oncologists were male. The median reimbursement was $146,453. The code with the highest total reimbursement was 77418 (radiation treatment delivery intensity modulated radiation therapy [IMRT]). The most commonly billed evaluation and management (E/M) code for new visits was 99205 (49%). The most commonly billed E/M code for established visits was 99213 (54%). Forty percent of providers billed none of their new office visits using 99205 (the highest E/M billing code), whereas 34% of providers billed all of their new office visits using 99205. For the 1510 radiation oncologists (37%) who billed technical services, median Medicare reimbursement was $606,008, compared with $93,921 for all other radiation oncologists (P<.001). On multivariate analysis, technical services billing (P<.001), male sex (P<.001), and rural location (P=.007) were predictive of higher Medicare reimbursement. The billing of technical services, with their high capital and labor overhead requirements, limits any comparison in reimbursement between individual radiation oncologists or between radiation oncologists and other specialists. Male sex and rural practice location are independent predictors of higher total Medicare reimbursements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

There Oughta Be a Law.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamkin, Leslie

1991-01-01

This article provides descriptions of various aspects of the three comprehensive energy bills pending before the U.S. Congress. All three bills assign nuclear energy a prominent role through support of the electric utility industry's stated goal of ordering a new nuclear energy plant by the mid-1990s. (JJK)

Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act of 2010

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT

2010-11-29

Senate - 12/08/2010 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 45. Record Vote Number: 267. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Withholding Tax Relief Act of 2011

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY

2011-10-17

Senate - 10/20/2011 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 57 - 43. Record Vote Number: 178. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Medicare Physician Fairness Act of 2009

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI

2009-10-13

Senate - 10/21/2009 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 47 - 53. Record Vote Number: 325. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Creating American Jobs and Ending Offshoring Act

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL

2010-09-21

Senate - 09/28/2010 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 45. Record Vote Number: 242. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI

2013-12-17

Senate - 02/06/2014 Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which second cloture was not invoked on the bill (Record Vote No. 24) made in Senate. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Childhood asthma surveillance using administrative data: consistency between medical billing and hospital discharge diagnoses.

PubMed

Labrèche, France; Kosatsky, Tom; Przybysz, Raymond

2008-01-01

The absence of ongoing surveillance for childhood asthma in Montreal, Quebec, prompted the present investigation to assess the validity and practicality of administrative databases as a foundation for surveillance. To explore the consistency between cases of asthma identified through physician billings compared with hospital discharge summaries. Rates of service use for asthma in 1998 among Montreal children aged one, four and eight years were estimated. Correspondence between the two databases (physician billing claims versus medical billing claims) were explored during three different time periods: the first day of hospitalization, during the entire hospital stay, and during the hospital stay plus a one-day margin before admission and after discharge ('hospital stay +/- 1 day'). During 1998, 7.6% of Montreal children consulted a physician for asthma at least once and 0.6% were hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of asthma. There were no contemporaneous physician billings for asthma 'in hospital' during hospital stay +/- 1 day for 22% of hospitalizations in which asthma was the primary diagnosis recorded at discharge. Conversely, among children with a physician billing for asthma 'in hospital', 66% were found to have a contemporaneous in-hospital record of a stay for 'asthma'. Both databases of hospital and medical billing claims are useful for estimating rates of hospitalization for asthma in children. The potential for diagnostic imprecision is of concern, especially if capturing the exact number of uses is more important than establishing patterns of use.

SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA

2011-03-04

Senate - 05/04/2011 Cloture on the bill (S. 493) not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 44. Record Vote Number: 64. (All Actions) Notes: On 11/29/2011, this bill was incorporated into S. 1867 as S. Amdt. 1115. For further action, see H.R.1540, which became Public Law 112-81 on 12/31/2011. Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Evaluation of identifier field agreement in linked neonatal records.

PubMed

Hall, E S; Marsolo, K; Greenberg, J M

2017-08-01

To better address barriers arising from missing and unreliable identifiers in neonatal medical records, we evaluated agreement and discordance among traditional and non-traditional linkage fields within a linked neonatal data set. The retrospective, descriptive analysis represents infants born from 2013 to 2015. We linked children's hospital neonatal physician billing records to newborn medical records originating from an academic delivery hospital and evaluated rates of agreement, discordance and missingness for a set of 12 identifier field pairs used in the linkage algorithm. We linked 7293 of 7404 physician billing records (98.5%), all of which were deemed valid upon manual review. Linked records contained a mean of 9.1 matching and 1.6 non-matching identifier pairs. Only 4.8% had complete agreement among all 12 identifier pairs. Our approach to selection of linkage variables and data formatting preparatory to linkage have generalizability, which may inform future neonatal and perinatal record linkage efforts.

Model Legislation: Gifted and Talented.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Andrew H.; And Others

This report presents a model state legislative bill to provide for the special needs of gifted and talented students. The model bill utilizes a "best practices" framework and attempts to be fiscally responsible and provide maximum flexibility while meeting the needs of gifted and talented students. The model legislation itself begins with a…

Effects of implementing electronic medical records on primary care billings and payments: a before-after study.

PubMed

Jaakkimainen, R Liisa; Shultz, Susan E; Tu, Karen

2013-09-01

Several barriers to the adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) by family physicians have been discussed, including the costs of implementation, impact on work flow and loss of productivity. We examined billings and payments received before and after implementation of EMRs among primary care physicians in the province of Ontario. We also examined billings and payments before and after switching from a fee-for-service to a capitation payment model, because EMR implementation coincided with primary care reform in the province. We used information from the Electronic Medical Record Administrative Data Linked Database (EMRALD) to conduct a retrospective before-after study. The EMRALD database includes EMR data extracted from 183 community-based family physicians in Ontario. We included EMRALD physicians who were eligible to bill the Ontario Health Insurance Plan at least 18 months before and after the date they started using EMRs and had completed a full 18-month period before Mar. 31, 2011, when the study stopped. The main outcome measures were physicians' monthly billings and payments for office visits and total annual payments received from all government sources. Two index dates were examined: the date physicians started using EMRs and were in a stable payment model (n = 64) and the date physicians switched from a fee-for-service to a capitation payment model (n = 42). Monthly billings and payments for office visits did not decrease after the implementation of EMRs. The overall weighted mean annual payment from all government sources increased by 27.7% after the start of EMRs among EMRALD physicians; an increase was also observed among all other primary care physicians in Ontario, but it was not as great (14.4%). There was a decline in monthly billings and payments for office visits after physicians changed payment models, but an increase in their overall annual government payments. Implementation of EMRs by primary care physicians did not result in decreased billings or government payments for office visits. Further economic analyses are needed to measure the effects of EMR implementation on productivity and the costs of implementing an EMR system, including the costs of nonclinical work by physicians and their staff.

Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2010

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2010-11-30

Senate - 12/08/2010 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 43. Record Vote Number: 266. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Rep. Chaffetz, Jason [R-UT-3

2011-07-15

Senate - 07/22/2011 Motion to table the motion to proceed to the bill agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 46. Record Vote Number: 116. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

12 CFR 219.5 - Conditions for payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... financial records prior to the time the financial institution is notified of such event. (c) Itemized bill... FOR PROVIDING FINANCIAL RECORDS; RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN FINANCIAL RECORDS (REGULATION S) Reimbursement to Financial Institutions for Providing Financial Records § 219.5 Conditions for...

Frequent users of rural primary care: comparisons with randomly selected users.

PubMed

Mehl-Madrona, L E

1998-01-01

Frequent users of primary care have not been adequately characterized. The unique characteristics of this population was sought--why they come so often, what their care costs, and whether psychosocial factors play a role in their high utilization of health care. The billing system of a rural primary care clinic was used to find the frequency of visits for all patients attending the clinic for the previous 12 months. The 211 most frequent visitors were selected. A comparison group of 250 patients was drawn from the billing records using a random number generator. Charts were reviewed to compare diagnoses (by frequency), number of procedures, amount billed for care, amount received from those billings, number of psychotropic medications prescribed, and response to medication. A subgroup of each group was interviewed to confirm chart review findings and to inquire about personal reasons for coming to the clinic. Compared with patients who were random users, patients who were frequent users were more likely to come from the younger and older age groups, they averaged significantly more emergency department visits and visits to other specialists (P < 0.0001), and they had more mental health problems diagnosed (P < 0.01). Significantly more frequent users were insured by Medicaid and fewer were insured by Medicare. They had more detailed office visits and more laboratory tests. They received twice as much psychotherapy and had a higher percentage of problem-focused office visits. Chart audits and interviews of selected patients revealed that many nonmedical reasons were related to visits in addition to psychosocial stressors. Nonmedical factors are important among the most frequent users of a primary care clinic. Proposals to improve care for frequent users should consider the psychosocial needs of this population.

Multidose Botulinum Toxin A for Intralaryngeal Injection: A Cost Analysis.

PubMed

Gilbert, Mark R; Young, VyVy N; Smith, Libby J; Rosen, Clark A

2018-01-04

Botulinum toxin A (BtxA) injection is the mainstay treatment for laryngeal dystonias. BtxA product labeling states that reconstituted toxin should be used within 4 hours on a single patient despite several studies that have demonstrated multidose BtxA to be safe and effective. Many insurance carriers mandate the use of an outside pharmacy which necessitates a single-use approach. This study compares the cost savings of multidose BtxA for laryngeal dystonia compared to single-use. This is a retrospective review and projected cost savings analysis. Records and billing information were reviewed for patients receiving BtxA for intralaryngeal injection at a single laryngology division in 2015. Inclusion criteria included CPT 64617 or J0585; exclusion criteria included CPT 64616. The price of BtxA 100 unit vial for calculation was $670. A total of 142 patients were seen for intralaryngeal BtxA injection resulting in 337 visits over 1 year. The average BtxA dose per visit was 2.86 units with an average of 3.06 procedure visits per year. The calculated cost of BtxA treatment using a single vial approach was found to be $2,050 per patient per year. If billed instead for $7/unit with 5 units wastage charge per visit, the yearly per patient charge is $168. Single vial-use of BtxA injection thus represents a 1,118% price increase versus multidose use. When estimated for yearly prevalence of spasmodic dysphonia, multidose BtxA use would save almost $100 million annually. Multidose botulinum toxin A application utilizing per unit billing is significantly less expensive than per single-use vial billing and would save the health-care system significant amount of money without any sacrifice in safety or effectiveness. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Utilities on the info highway: Part two

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burkhart, L.A.

1994-05-15

This article describes federal government legislation to allow electric and gas utilities to provide telecommunications services. The final law will probably allow all utilities to provide telecommunication services, even those regulated by PUHCA. Details of House and Senate bills are described.

Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act of 2011

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ

2011-10-17

Senate - 10/20/2011 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 50 - 50. Record Vote Number: 177. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Making U.S. Security and Privacy Rights Compatible

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

phone-records-verizon-court-order. 48 Ginger Gibson, Amash, Conyers introduce NSA bill, June 18, 2013, http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.ctm?uuid...2013, http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/nsa-leak- keith-alexander-92971.html, 1. Gibson, Ginger . 2013. Amash, Conyers introduce NSA bill

Culturally Responsive Collegiate Mathematics Education: Implications for African American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jett, Christopher C.

2013-01-01

In this article, the author utilizes the culturally congruent work of Gay (2010) and Ladson-Billings (2009) to highlight culturally responsive teaching as a viable option for African American students in higher education mathematics spaces. He offers translations of Gay and Ladson-Billings' work to Africana mathematics and argues that these…

Using Derivative Contracts to Mitigate Water Utility Financial Risks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Characklis, G. W.; Zeff, H.

2012-12-01

As developing new supply capacity has become increasingly expensive and difficult to permit, utilities have become more reliant on temporary demand management programs, such as outdoor water use restrictions, for ensuring reliability during drought. However, a significant fraction of water utility income is often derived from the volumetric sale of water, and such restrictions can lead to substantial revenue losses. Given that many utilities set prices at levels commensurate with recovering costs, these revenue losses can leave them financially vulnerable to budgetary shortfalls during drought. This work explores approaches for mitigating drought-related revenue losses through the use of third-party financial insurance contracts based on weather derivatives. Two different types of contracts are developed, and their efficacy is compared against two more traditional forms of financial hedging used by water utilities: drought surcharges and contingency funds (i.e. self insurance). Strategies involving each of these approaches, as well as their use in combination, are applied under conditions facing the water utility serving Durham, North Carolina. A multi-reservoir model provides information on the scale and timing of droughts, with the financial effects of these events simulated using detailed data derived from utility billing records. Results suggest that third-party derivative contracts, either independently or in combination with more traditional hedging tools (i.e. surcharges, contingency funds), can provide an effective means of reducing a utility's financial vulnerability to drought.

Managing water utility financial risks through third-party index insurance contracts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeff, Harrison B.; Characklis, Gregory W.

2013-08-01

As developing new supply capacity has become increasingly expensive and difficult to permit (i.e., regulatory approval), utilities have become more reliant on temporary demand management programs, such as outdoor water use restrictions, for ensuring reliability during drought. However, a significant fraction of water utility income is often derived from the volumetric sale of water, and such restrictions can lead to substantial revenue losses. Given that many utilities set prices at levels commensurate with recovering costs, these revenue losses can leave them financially vulnerable to budgetary shortfalls. This work explores approaches for mitigating drought-related revenue losses through the use of third-party financial insurance contracts based on streamflow indices. Two different types of contracts are developed, and their efficacy is compared against two more traditional forms of financial hedging used by water utilities: Drought surcharges and contingency funds (i.e., self-insurance). Strategies involving each of these approaches, as well as their use in combination, are applied under conditions facing the water utility serving Durham, North Carolina. A multireservoir model provides information on the scale and timing of droughts, and the financial effects of these events are simulated using detailed data derived from utility billing records. Results suggest that third-party index insurance contracts, either independently or in combination with more traditional hedging tools, can provide an effective means of reducing a utility's financial vulnerability to drought.

A bill to require publicly traded coal companies to include certain safety records in their reports to the Commission, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV

2010-05-27

Senate - 05/27/2010 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY

2010-07-21

Senate - 09/23/2010 Upon reconsideration, cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill (S.3628) not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 59 - 39. Record Vote Number: 240. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

The Impact of Rate Design and Net Metering on the Bill Savings from Distributed PV for Residential Customers in California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Darghouth, Naim; Barbose, Galen; Wiser, Ryan

2010-03-30

Net metering has become a widespread policy in the U.S. for supporting distributed photovoltaics (PV) adoption. Though specific design details vary, net metering allows customers with PV to reduce their electric bills by offsetting their consumption with PV generation, independent of the timing of the generation relative to consumption - in effect, compensating the PV generation at retail electricity rates (Rose et al. 2009). While net metering has played an important role in jump-starting the residential PV market in the U.S., challenges to net metering policies have emerged in a number of states and contexts, and alternative compensation methods aremore » under consideration. Moreover, one inherent feature of net metering is that the value of the utility bill savings it provides to customers with PV depends heavily on the structure of the underlying retail electricity rate, as well as on the characteristics of the customer and PV system. Consequently, the value of net metering - and the impact of moving to alternative compensation mechanisms - can vary substantially from one customer to the next. For these reasons, it is important for policymakers and others that seek to support the development of distributed PV to understand both how the bill savings varies under net metering, and how the bill savings under net metering compares to other possible compensation mechanisms. To advance this understanding, we analyze the bill savings from PV for residential customers of California's two largest electric utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE). The analysis is based on hourly load data from a sample of 215 residential customers located in the service territories of the two utilities, matched with simulated hourly PV production for the same time period based on data from the nearest of 73 weather stations in the state.« less

How sailfish use their bills to capture schooling prey.

PubMed

Domenici, P; Wilson, A D M; Kurvers, R H J M; Marras, S; Herbert-Read, J E; Steffensen, J F; Krause, S; Viblanc, P E; Couillaud, P; Krause, J

2014-06-07

The istiophorid family of billfishes is characterized by an extended rostrum or 'bill'. While various functions (e.g. foraging and hydrodynamic benefits) have been proposed for this structure, until now no study has directly investigated the mechanisms by which billfishes use their rostrum to feed on prey. Here, we present the first unequivocal evidence of how the bill is used by Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans) to attack schooling sardines in the open ocean. Using high-speed video-analysis, we show that (i) sailfish manage to insert their bill into sardine schools without eliciting an evasive response and (ii) subsequently use their bill to either tap on individual prey targets or to slash through the school with powerful lateral motions characterized by one of the highest accelerations ever recorded in an aquatic vertebrate. Our results demonstrate that the combination of stealth and rapid motion make the sailfish bill an extremely effective feeding adaptation for capturing schooling prey.

A method and knowledge base for automated inference of patient problems from structured data in an electronic medical record.

PubMed

Wright, Adam; Pang, Justine; Feblowitz, Joshua C; Maloney, Francine L; Wilcox, Allison R; Ramelson, Harley Z; Schneider, Louise I; Bates, David W

2011-01-01

Accurate knowledge of a patient's medical problems is critical for clinical decision making, quality measurement, research, billing and clinical decision support. Common structured sources of problem information include the patient problem list and billing data; however, these sources are often inaccurate or incomplete. To develop and validate methods of automatically inferring patient problems from clinical and billing data, and to provide a knowledge base for inferring problems. We identified 17 target conditions and designed and validated a set of rules for identifying patient problems based on medications, laboratory results, billing codes, and vital signs. A panel of physicians provided input on a preliminary set of rules. Based on this input, we tested candidate rules on a sample of 100,000 patient records to assess their performance compared to gold standard manual chart review. The physician panel selected a final rule for each condition, which was validated on an independent sample of 100,000 records to assess its accuracy. Seventeen rules were developed for inferring patient problems. Analysis using a validation set of 100,000 randomly selected patients showed high sensitivity (range: 62.8-100.0%) and positive predictive value (range: 79.8-99.6%) for most rules. Overall, the inference rules performed better than using either the problem list or billing data alone. We developed and validated a set of rules for inferring patient problems. These rules have a variety of applications, including clinical decision support, care improvement, augmentation of the problem list, and identification of patients for research cohorts.

Survey of North American Multidisciplinary Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Team Clinic Administration.

PubMed

Pfeifauf, Kristin D; Patel, Kamlesh B; Snyder-Warwick, Alison; Skolnick, Gary B; Scheve, Sibyl; Naidoo, Sybill D

2018-01-01

This study aims to provide an understanding of the ways cleft palate (CP) and craniofacial teams address billing, administration, communication of clinical recommendations, appointment scheduling, and diagnosis-specific protocols. An online clinic administration survey was developed using data from an open-ended telephone questionnaire. The online survey was distributed by e-mail to the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) nurse coordinator electronic mailing list, used regularly by the ACPA and its members to communicate with teams. The response was 34.1% (42/123). Two incomplete records were excluded, as were any inconsistent responses of 3 teams submitting duplicate records. Six (15.8%) of 38 teams do not charge for clinic visits. For all other teams, some or all providers bill individually for services (68.4%) or a single lump sum applies (10.5%). Patients of 34 (89.5%) of 38 teams occasionally or often neglect to schedule or attend follow-up appointments. Twenty-six (66.7%) of 39 team directors were plastic surgeons. Phone is a common method of contacting families for scheduling (60.0%) and appointment reminders (82.5%). Most teams' providers (90.0%) routinely communicate findings to each other during postclinical conference. Most teams saw patients with isolated cleft lip (43.6%), cleft lip and palate (64.1%), or isolated CP (59.0%) annually. The breadth of strategies team clinic administration strategies warrants further exploration of the variations and their effects on patient-centered outcomes including the quality of life, satisfaction, cost, and resource utilization.

Medicare Utilization of Vertebral Augmentation 2001 to 2014: Effects of Randomized Clinical Trials and Guidelines on Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty.

PubMed

Degnan, Andrew J; Hemingway, Jennifer; Hughes, Danny R

2017-08-01

Vertebral fractures have a substantial impact on the health and quality of life of elderly individuals as one of the most common complications of osteoporosis. Vertebral augmentation procedures including vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty have been supported as means of reducing pain and mitigating disability associated with these fractures. However, use of vertebroplasty is debated, with negative randomized controlled trials published in 2009 and divergent clinical guidelines. The effect of changing evidence and guidelines on different practitioners' utilization of both kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty in the years after these developments and publication of data supporting their use is poorly understood. Using national aggregate Medicare claims data from 2002 through 2014, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures were identified by provider type. Changes in utilization by procedure type and provider were studied. Total vertebroplasty billing increased 101.6% from 2001 (18,911) through 2008 (38,123). Total kyphoplasty billing frequency increased 17.2% from 2006 (54,329) through 2008 (63,684). Vertebroplasty billing decreased 60.9% from 2008 through 2014 to its lowest value (14,898). Kyphoplasty billing decreased 8.4% from 2008 (63,684) through 2010 (58,346), but then increased 7.6% from 2010 to 2013 (62,804). Vertebroplasty billing decreased substantially beginning in 2009 and continued to decrease through 2014 despite publication of more favorable studies in 2010 to 2012, suggesting studies published in 2009 and AAOS guidelines in 2010 may have had a persistent negative effect. Kyphoplasty did not decrease as substantially and increased in more recent years, suggesting a clinical practice response to favorable studies published during this period. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting hospital accounting costs

PubMed Central

Newhouse, Joseph P.; Cretin, Shan; Witsberger, Christina J.

1989-01-01

Two alternative methods to Medicare Cost Reports that provide information about hospital costs more promptly but less accurately are investigated. Both employ utilization data from current-year bills. The first attaches costs to utilization data using cost-charge ratios from the previous year's cost report; the second uses charges from current year's bills. The first method is the more accurate of the two, but even using it, only 40 percent of hospitals had predicted costs within plus or minus 5 percent of actual costs. The feasibility and cost of obtaining cost reports from a small, fast-track sample of hospitals should be investigated. PMID:10313352

Resource utilization and disability outcome assessment of combat casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

PubMed

Masini, Brendan D; Waterman, Scott M; Wenke, Joseph C; Owens, Brett D; Hsu, Joseph R; Ficke, James R

2009-04-01

Injuries are common during combat operations. The high costs of extremity injuries both in resource utilization and disability are well known in the civilian sector. We hypothesized that, similarly, combat-related extremity injuries, when compared with other injures from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, require the largest percentage of medical resources, account for the greatest number of disabled soldiers, and have greater costs of disability benefits. Descriptive epidemiologic study and cost analysis. The Department of Defense Medical Metrics (M2) database was queried for the hospital admissions and billing data of a previously published cohort of soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan between October 2001 and January 2005 and identified from the Joint Theater Trauma Registry. The US Army Physical Disability Administration database was also queried for Physical Evaluation Board outcomes for these soldiers, allowing calculation of disability benefit cost. Primary body region injured was assigned using billing records that gave a primary diagnosis International Classification of Diseases Ninth Edition code, which was corroborated with Joint Theater Trauma Registry injury mechanisms and descriptions for accuracy. A total of 1333 soldiers had complete admission data and were included from 1566 battle injuries not returned to duty of 3102 total casualties. Extremity-injured patients had the longest average inpatient stay at 10.7 days, accounting for 65% of the $65.3-million total inpatient resource utilization, 64% of the 464 patients found "unfit for duty," and 64% of the $170-million total projected disability benefit costs. Extrapolation of data yields total disability costs for this conflict, approaching $2 billion. Combat-related extremity injuries require the greatest utilization of resources for inpatient treatment in the initial postinjury period, cause the greatest number of disabled soldiers, and have the greatest projected disability benefit costs. This study highlights the need for continued or increased funding and support for military orthopaedic surgeons and extremity trauma research efforts.

Proven Performance of Seven Cold Climate Deep Retrofit Homes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Osser, R.; Neuhauser, K.; Ueno, K.

2012-06-01

Seven test homes located in Massachusetts are examined within this report. The retrofit strategies of each home are presented along with a comparison of the pre- and post-retrofit airtightness achieved by the group. Pre- and post-retrofit utility bills were collected; energy models were used to estimate pre-retrofit energy use when bills were unavailable.

AWARE@HOME: PROFITABLY INTEGRATING CONSERVATION INTO THE AMERICAN HOME

EPA Science Inventory

While American households are the most resource consuming in the world, they are unlikely to become more efficient users of public utilities because of: 1) large time delays between utility use and the receipt of utility bills; 2) the inconvenience of personally checking and ...

75 FR 44781 - Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-582); Comment Request; Extension

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-29

... ``Report/Form/ Annual Charges Report.'' Public utilities and power marketers subject to these annual... Commission issues bills for annual charges, and public utilities and power marketers then must pay the...

A bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND

2014-05-01

Senate - 11/18/2014 Under the order of 11/12/14, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, failed of passage in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 59 - 41. Record Vote Number: 280. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Failed SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

46 CFR 67.220 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Requirements. 67.220 Section 67.220 Shipping COAST GUARD... Filing and Recording of Instruments-Bills of Sale and Related Instruments § 67.220 Requirements. An instrument in the nature of a bill of sale or a deed of gift must: (a) Meet all of the requirements of...

46 CFR 67.220 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Requirements. 67.220 Section 67.220 Shipping COAST GUARD... Filing and Recording of Instruments-Bills of Sale and Related Instruments § 67.220 Requirements. An instrument in the nature of a bill of sale or a deed of gift must: (a) Meet all of the requirements of...

46 CFR 67.220 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Requirements. 67.220 Section 67.220 Shipping COAST GUARD... Filing and Recording of Instruments-Bills of Sale and Related Instruments § 67.220 Requirements. An instrument in the nature of a bill of sale or a deed of gift must: (a) Meet all of the requirements of...

Effects of implementing electronic medical records on primary care billings and payments: a before–after study

PubMed Central

Shultz, Susan E.; Tu, Karen

2013-01-01

Background Several barriers to the adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) by family physicians have been discussed, including the costs of implementation, impact on work flow and loss of productivity. We examined billings and payments received before and after implementation of EMRs among primary care physicians in the province of Ontario. We also examined billings and payments before and after switching from a fee-for-service to a capitation payment model, because EMR implementation coincided with primary care reform in the province. Methods We used information from the Electronic Medical Record Administrative Data Linked Database (EMRALD) to conduct a retrospective before–after study. The EMRALD database includes EMR data extracted from 183 community-based family physicians in Ontario. We included EMRALD physicians who were eligible to bill the Ontario Health Insurance Plan at least 18 months before and after the date they started using EMRs and had completed a full 18-month period before Mar. 31, 2011, when the study stopped. The main outcome measures were physicians’ monthly billings and payments for office visits and total annual payments received from all government sources. Two index dates were examined: the date physicians started using EMRs and were in a stable payment model (n = 64) and the date physicians switched from a fee-for-service to a capitation payment model (n = 42). Results Monthly billings and payments for office visits did not decrease after the implementation of EMRs. The overall weighted mean annual payment from all government sources increased by 27.7% after the start of EMRs among EMRALD physicians; an increase was also observed among all other primary care physicians in Ontario, but it was not as great (14.4%). There was a decline in monthly billings and payments for office visits after physicians changed payment models, but an increase in their overall annual government payments. Interpretation Implementation of EMRs by primary care physicians did not result in decreased billings or government payments for office visits. Further economic analyses are needed to measure the effects of EMR implementation on productivity and the costs of implementing an EMR system, including the costs of nonclinical work by physicians and their staff. PMID:25077111

46 CFR 403.400 - Uniform pilot's source form.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Source Forms § 403.400 Uniform pilot's source form. (a) Each Association shall record... billing office for accounting record; (4) Third copy to pilot's own Association for pilot's personal...

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Low-Cost Evaluation of Energy Savings at the Community Scale - Fresno, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2014-10-01

In this project, IBACOS partnered with builder Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes to develop a simple and low-cost methodology by which community-scale energy savings can be evaluated based on results at the occupied test house level.Research focused on the builder and trade implementation of a whole-house systems integrated measures package and the actual utility usage in the houses at the community scale of production. Five occupants participated in this community-scale research by providing utility bills and information on occupancy and miscellaneous gas and electric appliance use for their houses. IBACOS used these utility data and background information to analyze the actual energymore » performance of the houses. Verification with measured data is an important component in predictive energy modeling. The actual utility bill readings were compared to projected energy consumption using BEopt with actual weather and thermostat set points for normalization.« less

Service Networks and Patterns of Utilization: Mental Health Programs, Indian Health Service (IHS). Volume 5: Billings Area, 1963-1973.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attneave, Carolyn L.; Beiser, Morton

The fifth volume in a 10-volume report on the historical development (1966-1973) of the 8 administrative Area Offices of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Mental Health Programs, this report presents information on the Billings Area Office. Included in this document are: (1) General Description (geography, demography, and transportation facilities…

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4138) to protect the separation of powers in the Constitution of the United States by ensuring that the President takes care that the laws be faithfully executed, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3973) to amend section 530D of title 28, United States Code.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Nugent, Richard B. [R-FL-11

2014-03-11

House - 03/12/2014 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 229 - 192 (Roll no. 119). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A method and knowledge base for automated inference of patient problems from structured data in an electronic medical record

PubMed Central

Pang, Justine; Feblowitz, Joshua C; Maloney, Francine L; Wilcox, Allison R; Ramelson, Harley Z; Schneider, Louise I; Bates, David W

2011-01-01

Background Accurate knowledge of a patient's medical problems is critical for clinical decision making, quality measurement, research, billing and clinical decision support. Common structured sources of problem information include the patient problem list and billing data; however, these sources are often inaccurate or incomplete. Objective To develop and validate methods of automatically inferring patient problems from clinical and billing data, and to provide a knowledge base for inferring problems. Study design and methods We identified 17 target conditions and designed and validated a set of rules for identifying patient problems based on medications, laboratory results, billing codes, and vital signs. A panel of physicians provided input on a preliminary set of rules. Based on this input, we tested candidate rules on a sample of 100 000 patient records to assess their performance compared to gold standard manual chart review. The physician panel selected a final rule for each condition, which was validated on an independent sample of 100 000 records to assess its accuracy. Results Seventeen rules were developed for inferring patient problems. Analysis using a validation set of 100 000 randomly selected patients showed high sensitivity (range: 62.8–100.0%) and positive predictive value (range: 79.8–99.6%) for most rules. Overall, the inference rules performed better than using either the problem list or billing data alone. Conclusion We developed and validated a set of rules for inferring patient problems. These rules have a variety of applications, including clinical decision support, care improvement, augmentation of the problem list, and identification of patients for research cohorts. PMID:21613643

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2219) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Rep. Nugent, Richard B. [R-FL-5

2011-06-22

House - 06/23/2011 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 251 - 173 (Roll no. 480). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3) to approve the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Keystone XL pipeline, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-10

2013-05-21

House - 05/22/2013 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 228 - 185 (Roll no. 168). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Evaluating Outdoor Water Use Demand under Changing Climatic and Demographic Conditions: An Agent-based Modeling Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanta, L.

2016-12-01

Outdoor water use for landscape and irrigation constitutes a significant end use in residential water demand. In periods of water shortages, utilities may reduce garden demands by implementing irrigation system audits, rebate programs, local ordinances, and voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions. Because utilities do not typically record outdoor and indoor water uses separately, the effects of policies for reducing garden demands cannot be readily calculated. The volume of water required to meet garden demands depends on the housing density or lawn size, type of vegetation, climatic conditions, efficiency of garden irrigation systems, and consumer water-use behaviors. Many existing outdoor demand estimation methods are deterministic and do not include consumer responses to conservation campaigns. In addition, mandatory restrictions may have a substantial impact on reducing outdoor demands, but the effectiveness of mandatory restrictions depends on the timing and the frequency of restrictions, in addition to the distribution of housing density and consumer types within a community. This research investigates a garden end-use model by coupling an agent-based modeling approach and a mechanistic-stochastic water demand model to create a methodology for estimating garden demand and evaluating demand reduction policies. The garden demand model is developed for two water utilities, using a diverse data sets, including residential customer billing records, records of outdoor conservation programs, frequency and type of mandatory water use restrictions, lot size distribution, population growth, and climatic data. A set of garden irrigation parameter values, which are based on the efficiency of irrigation systems and irrigation habits of consumers, are determined for a set of conservation ordinances and restrictions. The model parameters are then validated using customer water usage data from the participating water utilities. A sensitivity analysis is conducted for garden irrigation parameters to determine the most significant factors that should be considered by water utilities to reduce outdoor demand. Data from multiple sources and the agent-based modeling methodology are integrated using a holistic approach to assist utilities in efficiently and sustainably managing outdoor demand.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4800) making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4457) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing limitations, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4453) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the reduced recognition period for built-in gains of S corporations.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26

2014-06-10

House - 06/11/2014 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 227 - 189 (Roll no. 299). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Student Veterans' College Experiences: Demographic Comparisons, Differences in Academic Experiences, and On-Campus Service Utilization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cate, Chris Andrew

2011-01-01

Background: The GI Bill has given United States military veterans the opportunity to afford and enroll in colleges and universities for nearly seventy years. In the Fall of 2009, the Post-9/11 GI Bill started helping a new generation of student veterans pay for their post-secondary education and earn degrees and certificates. The Post-9/11 GI Bill…

Probable epizootic chlamydiosis in wild California (Larus californicus) and ring-billed (Larus delawarensis) gulls in North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franson, J.C.; Pearson, J.E.

1995-01-01

During the summer of 1986, more than 400 California gulls (Larus californicus) and ring-billed gulls (Larvus delawarensis), primarily fledglings, died on an island in Lake Sakakawea near New Town, North Dakota (USA). Mortality was attributed largely to chlamydiosis. Necropsy findings in nine carcasses included splenomegaly (n = 9), hepatomegaly (n = 4), and pericarditis (n = 1). Livers from three California gulls and two ring-billed gulls, and spleens from the same five birds plus a third ring-billed gull were positive for Chlamydia psittaci by the direct immunofluorescence test. Chlamydia psittaci was isolated from separate pools of liver and spleen from one California gull and one ring-billed gull. This is believed to be the first record of epizootic chlamydiosis in gulls and the second report of epizootic chlamydial mortality in wild birds in North America.

Fidelity and persistence of Ring-billed (Larus delawarensis) and Herring (Larus argentatus) gulls to wintering sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Daniel E.; Koenen, Kiana K. G.; Whitney, Jillian J.; MacKenzie, Kenneth G.; DeStefano, Stephen

2016-01-01

While the breeding ecology of gulls (Laridae) has been well studied, their movements and spatial organization during the non-breeding season is poorly understood. The seasonal movements, winter-site fidelity, and site persistence of Ring-billed (Larus delawarensis) and Herring (L. argentatus) gulls to wintering areas were studied from 2008–2012. Satellite transmitters were deployed on Ring-billed Gulls (n = 21) and Herring Gulls (n = 14). Ten Ring-billed and six Herring gulls were tracked over multiple winters and > 300 wing-tagged Ring-billed Gulls were followed to determine winter-site fidelity and persistence. Home range overlap for individuals between years ranged between 0–1.0 (95% minimum convex polygon) and 0.31–0.79 (kernel utilization distributions). Ringbilled and Herring gulls remained at local wintering sites during the non-breeding season from 20–167 days and 74–161 days, respectively. The probability of a tagged Ring-billed Gull returning to the same site in subsequent winters was high; conversely, there was a low probability of a Ring-billed Gull returning to a different site. Ring-billed and Herring gulls exhibited high winter-site fidelity, but exhibited variable site persistence during the winter season, leading to a high probability of encountering the same individuals in subsequent winters.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 9) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a deduction for domestic business income of qualified small businesses.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-32

2012-04-17

House - 04/19/2012 On agreeing to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by recorded vote: 234 - 178 (Roll no. 173). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Biopsychosocial law, health care reform, and the control of medical inflation in Colorado.

PubMed

Bruns, Daniel; Mueller, Kathryn; Warren, Pamela A

2012-05-01

A noteworthy attempt at health care reform was the 1992 Colorado workers' compensation reform bill, which led to the creation of what has been called "biopsychosocial laws." These laws mandated the use of treatment guidelines for patients with injury or chronic pain, which advocated a biopsychosocial model of rehabilitation, and aspired to use a "best practice" approach to controlling costs. The purpose of this study was to examine the financial impact of this health care reform process, and to test the hypothesis that this approach can be an effective strategy to contain costs while providing good care. This study utilized a dataset collected prospectively from 1992 to 2007 in 45 U.S. states for regulatory purposes. These data summarized the medical treatment and disability costs of 520,314 injured workers in Colorado, and an estimated 28.6 million injured workers nationally. As no other state passed a comparable bill, the Colorado worker compensation reform bill created a natural experiment, where a treatment group was created by legally enforceable medical treatment guidelines. In the 15 years following the implementation of the reform, the inflation of medical costs in Colorado workers' compensation was only one third that of the national average, saving an estimated $859 million on patients injured in 2007 alone. Although there were confounding variables, and causality could not be determined, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that Colorado's 1992 legislative efforts to reform workers compensation law using the biopsychosocial model worked as intended to provide good care while controlling costs. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1965) to streamline and ensure onshore energy permitting, provide for onshore leasing certainty, and give certainty to oil shale development for American energy security, economic development, and job creation, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2728) to recognize States' authority to regulate oil and gas operations and promote American energy security, development, and job creation.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Bishop, Rob [R-UT-1

2013-11-18

House - 11/19/2013 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 222 - 196 (Roll no. 591). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2954) to authorize Escambia County, Florida, to convey certain property that was formerly part of Santa Rosa Island National Monument and that was conveyed to Escambia County subject to restrictions on use and reconveyance, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3964) to address certain water-related concerns in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Bishop, Rob [R-UT-1

2014-02-04

House - 02/05/2014 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 229 - 190 (Roll no. 37). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Emerging Telecommunications Technologies (Part 2). Hearing before the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance of the Committee on Energy and Commerce on H.R. 1407, a Bill To Establish Procedures To Improve the Allocation and Assignment to the Electromagnetic Spectrum. House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

A discussion of H.R. 1407, a bill to establish procedures to improve the allocation and assignment to the electromagnetic spectrum centered on the current policy of allocating portions of the spectrum through lotteries and auction. This report includes a copy of the bill, the text of testimony presented and materials submitted for the record, and…

[Data coding in the Israeli healthcare system - do choices provide the answers to our system's needs?].

PubMed

Zelingher, Julian; Ash, Nachman

2013-05-01

The IsraeLi healthcare system has undergone major processes for the adoption of health information technologies (HIT), and enjoys high Levels of utilization in hospital and ambulatory care. Coding is an essential infrastructure component of HIT, and ts purpose is to represent data in a simplified and common format, enhancing its manipulation by digital systems. Proper coding of data enables efficient identification, storage, retrieval and communication of data. UtiLization of uniform coding systems by different organizations enables data interoperability between them, facilitating communication and integrating data elements originating in different information systems from various organizations. Current needs in Israel for heaLth data coding include recording and reporting of diagnoses for hospitalized patients, outpatients and visitors of the Emergency Department, coding of procedures and operations, coding of pathology findings, reporting of discharge diagnoses and causes of death, billing codes, organizational data warehouses and national registries. New national projects for cLinicaL data integration, obligatory reporting of quality indicators and new Ministry of Health (MOH) requirements for HIT necessitate a high Level of interoperability that can be achieved only through the adoption of uniform coding. Additional pressures were introduced by the USA decision to stop the maintenance of the ICD-9-CM codes that are also used by Israeli healthcare, and the adoption of ICD-10-C and ICD-10-PCS as the main coding system for billing purpose. The USA has also mandated utilization of SNOMED-CT as the coding terminology for the ELectronic Health Record problem list, and for reporting quality indicators to the CMS. Hence, the Israeli MOH has recently decided that discharge diagnoses will be reported using ICD-10-CM codes, and SNOMED-CT will be used to code the cLinical information in the EHR. We reviewed the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of these two coding systems. In summary, the adoption of ICD-10-CM is in line with the USA decision to abandon ICD-9-CM, and the Israeli heaLthcare system could benefit from USA heaLthcare efforts in this direction. The Large content of SNOMED-CT and its sophisticated hierarchical data structure will enable advanced cLinicaL decision support and quality improvement applications.

New rules for physicians implement sample drug bill.

PubMed

1990-06-01

Record keeping requirements for dangerous drugs, including samples, has been a source of confusion for physicians and often has lead to misinterpretation of the law. To clarify this issue and to assist in implementing Senate Bill 788 (the sample drug bill), the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners recently has adopted rules for record keeping for dangerous drugs and controlled substances. A dangerous drug is any drug or device that is not listed in the Controlled Substances Act and thus is not safe for self-medication, or bears the legend, "Caution: Federal law prohibits dispensing without a prescription." The Dangerous Drugs Act requires a physician to maintain records for 2 years after the date of the acquisition or disposal of the dangerous drug. The new TSBME rules provide a presumption of compliance by a physician for record keeping for dangerous drug samples if he or she (1) retains a copy of the signed request form required by the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987 for 2 years and (2) makes appropriate entries in a patient's medical records when a dangerous drug sample is supplied to the patient. Generally, a drug company representative provides a copy of the request as a receipt at the time the physician receives the samples. For dangerous drugs that the physician acquires other than as samples, the physician needs to retain a copy of the invoice or receiving order or other form of documentation of receipt or acquisition for 2 years. Once again, the physician should make appropriate entries in patients' records.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Benchmark for Performance: Geothermal Applications in Lincoln Public Schools

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durfee, D.J.; Hughes, P.J.; Martin, M.A.

1999-06-19

Vertical-bore, geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) have been providing heating and cooling to four new elementary schools located in Lincoln, Nebraska since 1995. According to representatives of the local utility and school district, the systems are providing a comfortable, complaint-free environment with utility costs that are nearly half of that of other schools in the district. Performance data collected from on-site energy management systems and district billing and utility records for all fifty schools in the Lincoln district indicate that only five consume less energy than the best performing GHP school; however these five cool less than 10% of their totalmore » floor area, while the GHP schools cool 100% of their floor area. When compared to other new schools (with similar ventilation loads), the GHP schools used approximately 26% less source energy per square foot of floor area. Variations in annual energy performance are evident among the four GHP schools, however, together they still consume less source energy than 70% of all schools in the district. These variations are most likely due to operational differences rather than installed equipment, building orientation, or environmental (bore field) conditions.« less

Benchmark for performance: Geothermal applications in Lincoln public schools

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shonder, J.A.; Martin, M.A.; Sharp, T.R.

1999-07-01

Vertical-bore, geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) have been providing heating and cooling to four new elementary schools located in Lincoln, Nebraska since 1995. According to representatives of the local utility and school district, the systems are providing a comfortable, complaint-free environment with utility costs that are nearly half of that of other schools in the district. Performance data collected from on-site energy management systems and district billing and utility records for all fifty schools in the Lincoln district indicate that only five consume less energy than the best performing GHP school; however, these five cool less than 10% of their totalmore » floor area, while the GHP schools cool 100% of their floor area. When compared to other new schools (with similar ventilation loads), the GHP schools used approximately 26% less source energy per square foot of floor area. Variations in annual energy performance are evident amongst the four GHP schools, however, together they still consume less source energy than 70% of all schools in the district. These variations are most likely due to operational differences rather than installed equipment, building orientation, or environmental (bore field) conditions.« less

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Rogers, Mike J. [R-MI-8

2014-05-20

12/19/2014 Became Public Law No: 113-293. (TXT | PDF) (All Actions) Notes: A Joint Explanatory Statement to accompany this bill, published in the Congressional Record on December 4, 2014, was intended to have the same effect as if it were part of a report from a committee of conference. Tracker: This bill has the status Became LawHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2997) making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-3

2009-07-07

House - 07/08/2009 On motion to reconsider the vote Failed by recorded vote: 170 - 254 (Roll no. 494). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Providing for further consideration of the bill (H.R. 1947) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-32

2013-06-18

House - 06/19/2013 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 239 - 177 (Roll no. 254). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

To provide that the usual day for paying salaries in or under the House of Representatives may be established by regulations of the Committee on House Administration.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Brady, Robert A. [D-PA-1

2009-03-26

House - 07/30/2009 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by recorded vote (2/3 required): 282 - 144 (Roll no. 681). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Failed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5230) making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5272) to prohibit certain actions with respect to deferred action for aliens not lawfully present in the United States, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 5021) to provide an extension of Federal-aid highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit, and other programs funded out of the Highway Trust Fund, and for other purposes; and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4

2014-07-30

House - 07/31/2014 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 220 - 205 (Roll no. 472). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Cost and resource utilization in cervical cancer management: a real-world retrospective cost analysis.

PubMed

Cromwell, I; Ferreira, Z; Smith, L; van der Hoek, K; Ogilvie, G; Coldman, A; Peacock, S J

2016-02-01

We set out to assess the health care resource utilization and cost of cervical cancer from the perspective of a single-payer health care system. Retrospective observational data for women diagnosed with cervical cancer in British Columbia between 2004 and 2009 were analyzed to calculate patient-level resource utilization patterns from diagnosis to death or 5-year discharge. Domains of resource use within the scope of this cost analysis were chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and brachytherapy administered by the BC Cancer Agency; resource utilization related to hospitalization and outpatient visits as recorded by the B.C. Ministry of Health; medically required services billed under the B.C. Medical Services Plan; and prescriptions dispensed under British Columbia's health insurance programs. Unit costs were applied to radiotherapy and brachytherapy, producing per-patient costs. The mean cost per case of treating cervical cancer in British Columbia was $19,153 (standard error: $3,484). Inpatient hospitalizations, at 35%, represented the largest proportion of the total cost (95% confidence interval: 32.9% to 36.9%). Costs were compared for subgroups of the total cohort. As health care systems change the way they manage, screen for, and prevent cervical cancer, cost-effectiveness evaluations of the overall approach will require up-to-date data for resource utilization and costs. We provide information suitable for such a purpose and also identify factors that influence costs.

The School Facilities Children Are Forced to Attend.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Shirley J.

1993-01-01

As many as 25% of American school buildings are inadequate. However, many districts have reduced maintenance to pay utility bills. An active energy-management program can lower utility costs through efficient operation and maintenance practices and retrofits that pay back in less than three years. (MLF)

SCIENTIFIC MANPOWER UTILIZATION, HEARINGS ON S. 430, AND S. 467, JANUARY 24-27, MARCH 29-30, 1967.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare.

THE PURPOSE OF BILL S. 430, "SCIENTIFIC MANPOWER UTILIZATION ACT OF 1967," IS TO FACILITATE AND ENCOURAGE THE UTILIZATION OF THE SCIENTIFIC, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES OF THE NATION IN MEETING URGENT NATIONAL AND LOCAL PROBLEMS BY PROMOTING THE APPLICATION OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING TO PROBLEMS IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION,…

Missed surgical intensive care unit billing: potential financial impact of 24/7 faculty presence.

PubMed

Hendershot, Kimberly M; Bollins, John P; Armen, Scott B; Thomas, Yalaunda M; Steinberg, Steven M; Cook, Charles H

2009-07-01

To efficiently capture evaluation and management (E&M) and procedural billing in our surgical intensive care unit (SICU), we have developed an electronic billing system that links to the electronic medical record (EMR). In this system, only notes electronically signed and coded by an attending generate billing charges. We hypothesized that capture of missed billing during nighttime and weekends might be sufficient to subsidize 24/7 in-house attending coverage. A retrospective chart EMR review was performed of the EMRs for all SICU patients during a 2-month period. Note type, date, time, attending signature, and coding were analyzed. Notes without attending signature, diagnosis, or current procedural terminology (CPT) code were considered incomplete and identified as "missed billing." Four hundred and forty-three patients had 465 admissions generating 2,896 notes. Overall, 76% of notes were signed and coded by an attending and billed. Incomplete (not billed) notes represented an overall missed billing opportunity of $159,138 for the 2-month time period (approximately $954,000 annually). Unbilled E&M encounters during weekdays totaled $54,758, whereas unbilled E&M and procedures from weeknights and weekends totaled $88,408 ($44,566 and $43,842, respectively). Missed billing after-hours thus represents approximately $530K annually, extrapolating to approximately $220K in collections from our payer mix. Surprisingly, missed E&M and procedural billing during weekdays totaled $70,730 (approximately $425K billing, approximately $170K collections annually), and typically represented patients seen, but transferred from the SICU before attending documentation was completed. Capture of nighttime and weekend ICU collections alone may be insufficient to add faculty or incentivize in-house coverage, but could certainly complement other in-house derived revenues to such ends. In addition, missed daytime billing in busy modern ICUs can be substantial, and use of an EMR to identify missed billing opportunities can help create solutions to recover these revenues.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Greenhill Contracting, Inc., Hickory Ridge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Greenhill Contracting built this 3,912-ft2 house in Gardiner, New York, to the high-performance criteria of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program. A highly efficient air-source heat pump heats and cools the home’s interior, while the roof-mounted photovoltaic system offsets electricity usage to cut energy bills to nearly zero. Many months the home owners see a credit on their utility bill.

48 CFR 1845.7101-2 - Transfers of property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... items are recorded (including Federal Supply Classification group (FSC) codes for equipment), unit... appropriate such as manufacturing or engineering records used for work control and billing purposes. Shipping... from another contractor that is identified on the shipping document as equipment, but that the...

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4315) to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require publication on the Internet of the basis for determinations that species are endangered species or threatened species, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Bishop, Rob [R-UT-1

2014-07-28

House - 07/29/2014 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 225 - 192 (Roll no. 459). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 933) making appropriations for the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other departments and agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4

2013-03-05

House - 03/06/2013 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 212 - 197 (Roll no. 60). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3350) to authorize health insurance issuers to continue to offer for sale current individual health insurance coverage in satisfaction of the minimum essential health insurance coverage requirement, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26

2013-11-14

House - 11/15/2013 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 228 - 189 (Roll no. 584). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 890) to prohibit waivers relating to compliance with the work requirements for the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4

2013-03-12

House - 03/13/2013 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 233 - 194 (Roll no. 65). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1999-01-01

In 1997, the Texas Legislature passed a comprehensive revision to the Texas Water Code. This legislation (Senate Bill 1) changed water planning in Texas from a statewide to a regional activity. By September 2001, the 16 regions created by Senate Bill 1 must produce water plans to address their water needs during drought-of-record conditions, and must identify water-management strategies for periods when streamflows, reservoir storage, and groundwater levels are 50 and 75 percent of normal.

How sailfish use their bills to capture schooling prey

PubMed Central

Domenici, P.; Wilson, A. D. M.; Kurvers, R. H. J. M.; Marras, S.; Herbert-Read, J. E.; Steffensen, J. F.; Krause, S.; Viblanc, P. E.; Couillaud, P.; Krause, J.

2014-01-01

The istiophorid family of billfishes is characterized by an extended rostrum or ‘bill’. While various functions (e.g. foraging and hydrodynamic benefits) have been proposed for this structure, until now no study has directly investigated the mechanisms by which billfishes use their rostrum to feed on prey. Here, we present the first unequivocal evidence of how the bill is used by Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans) to attack schooling sardines in the open ocean. Using high-speed video-analysis, we show that (i) sailfish manage to insert their bill into sardine schools without eliciting an evasive response and (ii) subsequently use their bill to either tap on individual prey targets or to slash through the school with powerful lateral motions characterized by one of the highest accelerations ever recorded in an aquatic vertebrate. Our results demonstrate that the combination of stealth and rapid motion make the sailfish bill an extremely effective feeding adaptation for capturing schooling prey. PMID:24759865

The Heart of the Matter: Increasing Quality and Charge Capture from Intraoperative Transesophageal Echocardiography.

PubMed

Sanford, Joseph A; Kadry, Bassam; Oakes, Daryl; Macario, Alex; Schmiesing, Cliff

2016-04-15

Although transesophageal echocardiography is routinely performed at our institution, there is no easy way to document the procedure in the electronic medical record and generate a bill compliant with reimbursement requirements. We present the results of a quality improvement project that used agile development methodology to incorporate intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography into the electronic medical record. We discuss improvements in the quality of clinical documentation, technical workflow challenges overcome, and cost and time to return on investment. Billing was increased from an average of 36% to 84.6% when compared with the same time period in the previous year. The expected recoupment of investment for this project is just 18 weeks.

Turning whine into wine: the fiscal impact of comprehensive documentation and billing for nonoperative pediatric surgical services.

PubMed

Gollin, Gerald; Moores, Donald

2006-06-01

Some pediatric surgeons rarely document nonoperative services, believing that the reimbursement provided for such care is negligible. We evaluated the impact of comprehensive documentation and billing for nonoperative, pediatric surgical care. All bills submitted for inpatient, nonoperative care for 1 year were reviewed. Total receipts for documented admissions, consultations, critical care, and daily care were determined. The Evaluation and Management code billed for each service was recorded, and the total and average payments attributable to each Evaluation and Management code were calculated. Fifty-six percent of services were covered by Medicaid and 26% by a commercial insurer. There were 607 billed admission history and physical exams for which reimbursement totaled 43,493 dollars. Critical care services were provided to 49 patients and yielded 8964 dollars in payments. Six hundred thirty-nine inpatient consultations were performed with a reimbursement of 42,830 dollars. Daily care services were billed 1044 times and produced 71,579 dollars in payments. Overall reimbursement for documented, nonoperative services was 166,866 dollars. This represented 16.2% of total, noncontracted income for the practice. Despite a payer mix heavily weighted toward Medicaid, comprehensive documentation and billing for nonoperative services increased total, noncontracted reimbursement by almost 20% over what it would have been had only operative services been billed. The yield from properly documented, nonoperative care can be substantial.

Utilization and Economic Contribution of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners in Public Behavioral Health Services.

PubMed

Chapman, Susan A; Phoenix, Bethany J; Hahn, Talia E; Strod, Deborah C

2018-06-01

Expanded insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act and parity in behavioral health coverage have increased demand for services. Yet there is a persistent shortage in the behavioral health workforce. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) may be part of the solution to shortages but are not yet fully utilized. The purpose of this study was to describe how PMHNPs are utilized, identify barriers to full utilization, and assess PMHNPs' economic contribution in public behavioral health systems. This study used a mixed methods approach, selecting counties for use of PMHNPs, geography, population size, rural/urban, and availability of financial data. The authors conducted 1- to 2-day site visits in 2014-2015 including semi-structured interviews with management and clinical leaders and collected PMHNP staffing and billing data. Thematic analysis of interview data was conducted and aggregate staffing and billing data were analyzed to determine net PMHNP financial contribution. The primary billed service for PMHNPs is medication management. Barriers to full utilization included system-level barriers to hiring PMHNPs, lack of role-appropriate job descriptions, confusion related to scope of practice/supervision requirements, and challenges in recruitment and retention. Fiscal analysis showed a positive net contribution from PMHNP services. PMHNPs can make a significant contribution to behavioral healthcare delivery, particularly in public mental health settings, yet greater understanding of their role and addressing barriers to practice is needed. This article is part of a supplement entitled The Behavioral Health Workforce: Planning, Practice, and Preparation, which is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Copyright © 2018 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Administrative Costs Associated With Physician Billing and Insurance-Related Activities at an Academic Health Care System.

PubMed

Tseng, Phillip; Kaplan, Robert S; Richman, Barak D; Shah, Mahek A; Schulman, Kevin A

2018-02-20

Administrative costs in the US health care system are an important component of total health care spending, and a substantial proportion of these costs are attributable to billing and insurance-related activities. To examine and estimate the administrative costs associated with physician billing activities in a large academic health care system with a certified electronic health record system. This study used time-driven activity-based costing. Interviews were conducted with 27 health system administrators and 34 physicians in 2016 and 2017 to construct a process map charting the path of an insurance claim through the revenue cycle management process. These data were used to calculate the cost for each major billing and insurance-related activity and were aggregated to estimate the health system's total cost of processing an insurance claim. Estimated time required to perform billing and insurance-related activities, based on interviews with management personnel and physicians. Estimated billing and insurance-related costs for 5 types of patient encounters: primary care visits, discharged emergency department visits, general medicine inpatient stays, ambulatory surgical procedures, and inpatient surgical procedures. Estimated processing time and total costs for billing and insurance-related activities were 13 minutes and $20.49 for a primary care visit, 32 minutes and $61.54 for a discharged emergency department visit, 73 minutes and $124.26 for a general inpatient stay, 75 minutes and $170.40 for an ambulatory surgical procedure, and 100 minutes and $215.10 for an inpatient surgical procedure. Of these totals, time and costs for activities carried out by physicians were estimated at a median of 3 minutes or $6.36 for a primary care visit, 3 minutes or $10.97 for an emergency department visit, 5 minutes or $13.29 for a general inpatient stay, 15 minutes or $51.20 for an ambulatory surgical procedure, and 15 minutes or $51.20 for an inpatient surgical procedure. Of professional revenue, professional billing costs were estimated to represent 14.5% for primary care visits, 25.2% for emergency department visits, 8.0% for general medicine inpatient stays, 13.4% for ambulatory surgical procedures, and 3.1% for inpatient surgical procedures. In a time-driven activity-based costing study in a large academic health care system with a certified electronic health record system, the estimated costs of billing and insurance-related activities ranged from $20 for a primary care visit to $215 for an inpatient surgical procedure. Knowledge of how specific billing and insurance-related activities contribute to administrative costs may help inform policy solutions to reduce these expenses.

Recovery of Utility Fixed Costs: Utility, Consumer, Environmental and Economist Perspectives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wood, Lisa; Hemphill, Ross; Howat, John

Utilities recover costs for providing electric service to retail customers through a combination of rate components that together comprise customers’ monthly electric bills. Rates and rate designs are set by state regulators and vary by jurisdiction, utility and customer class. In addition to the fundamental tenet of setting fair and reasonable rates, rate design balances economic efficiency, equity and fairness, customer satisfaction, utility revenue stability, and customer price and bill stability.1 At the most basic level, retail electricity bills in the United States typically include a fixed monthly customer charge — a set dollar amount regardless of energy usage —more » and a volumetric energy charge for each kilowatt-hour consumed.2 The energy charge may be flat across all hours, vary by usage level (for example, higher rates at higher levels of usage), or vary based on time of consumption.3 While some utility costs, such as fuel costs, clearly vary according to electricity usage, other costs are “fixed” over the short run — generally, those that do not vary over the course of a year. Depending on your point of view, and whether the state’s electricity industry has been restructured or remains vertically integrated, the set of costs that are “fixed” may be quite limited. Or the set may extend to all capacity costs for generation, transmission and distribution. In the long run, all costs are variable. In the context of flat or declining loads in some regions, utilities are proposing a variety of changes to retail rate designs, particularly for residential customers, to recover fixed costs. In this report, authors representing utility (Chapter 1), consumer (Chapter 2), environmentalist (Chapter 3) and economist (Chapter 4) perspectives discuss fixed costs for electric utilities and set out their principles for recovering those costs. The table on the next page summarizes each author’s relative preferences for various options for fixed cost recovery, some of which may be used in combination.4 The specific design of any ratemaking option matters crucially, so a general preference for a given option does not indicate support for any particular application.« less

Providing for further consideration of the bill (H.R. 1960) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2014 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Nugent, Richard B. [R-FL-11

2013-06-12

House - 06/13/2013 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 238 - 189 (Roll no. 221). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Appalachia meets the mid-south in Tennessee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGowan, Richard S.; Jackson, Michel T.-T.

2003-04-01

The father of bluegrass and long-time member of the Opry in Nashville, Bill Monroe, had a number of musical influences, including blues, gospel, and the American versions of Anglo-Scots-Irish folk music endemic to Appalachia. (Although Bill Monroe was from western Kentucky, the Appalachian influence is apparent.) In 1946 he recorded a song for Columbia Records that he had written. This song was recorded again in 1954 at Sun Studios as a ``B side'' by the future king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. Raised in East Tupelo, MS and Memphis, Elvis' music derived from the mid-south's blues and gospel music, but with a peculiar honkytonk-informed, Memphis style. We will compare these artists through this common song and their spoken interviews in terms of voice quality and English dialect. Some copy-synthesis of these artists will be attempted in our search for the high, lonesome and rock and roll sounds.

15 CFR 758.5 - Conformity of documents and unloading of items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... documents (e.g., the AES record, bill of lading or air waybill) must be consistent with the license. (c... end user named on the BIS license and in the AES record. (2) Optional ports of unloading. (i) Licensed... destination or are included on the BIS license and in the AES record. (ii) Unlicensed items. For shipments of...

Uncertain sightings and the extinction of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

PubMed

Solow, Andrew; Smith, Woollcott; Burgman, Mark; Rout, Tracy; Wintle, Brendan; Roberts, David

2012-02-01

The extinction of a species can be inferred from a record of its sightings. Existing methods for doing so assume that all sightings in the record are valid. Often, however, there are sightings of uncertain validity. To date, uncertain sightings have been treated in an ad hoc way, either excluding them from the record or including them as if they were certain. We developed a Bayesian method that formally accounts for such uncertain sightings. The method assumes that valid and invalid sightings follow independent Poisson processes and use noninformative prior distributions for the rate of valid sightings and for a measure of the quality of uncertain sightings. We applied the method to a recently published record of sightings of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis). This record covers the period 1897-2010 and contains 39 sightings classified as certain and 29 classified as uncertain. The Bayes factor in favor of extinction was 4.03, which constitutes substantial support for extinction. The posterior distribution of the time of extinction has 3 main modes in 1944, 1952, and 1988. The method can be applied to sighting records of other purportedly extinct species. ©2011 Society for Conservation Biology.

Construction of a US Fibromyalgia Registry Using the Fibromyalgia Research Survey Criteria

PubMed Central

McAllister, Samantha J.; Oh, Terry H.; Luedtke, Connie A.; Toussaint, Loren L.; Vincent, Ann

2013-01-01

Abstract Utilizing billing records, we identified patients seen at Mayo Clinic with a diagnosis or history of fibromyalgia who were then contacted for enrollment in a fibromyalgia research registry. Fibromyalgia was confirmed through medical record review. Eligible patients were mailed an invitation that included a demographic questionnaire and the Fibromyalgia Research Survey. The Fibromyalgia Research Survey yields a widespread pain score (scale range 0–19) and a symptom severity score (scale range 0–12). A total of 4,034 patients returned the completed survey; 92.8% were female, their mean age was 57.4 (±13.4), and 83.7% were from the Midwest region of the United States. The mean widespread pain score for all participants was 11.3 (±4.5) and the mean symptom severity score was 8.2 (±2.4), indicating moderate‐to‐severe fibromyalgia symptoms, which is not unusual for patients presenting to a tertiary care center. Using a systematic process, we describe the creation of a fibromyalgia registry for future research. PMID:24127929

Birth of the Four-Day Work Week.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellyer, Lyle

Indian Hills Community College, faced with rising utility bills dues to inadequate insulation in the campus's older buildings, now utilizes a four-day week during the winter quarter as an energy conservation measure. Planning for the implementation of the four-day week, which began in 1976, was coordinated by an overall energy committee made up of…

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2655) to amend Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to improve attorney accountability, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 982) to amend title 11 of the United States Code to require the public disclosure by trusts established under section 524(g) of such title, of quarterly reports that contain detailed information regarding the receipt and disposition of claims for injuries based on exposure to asbestos; and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Woodall, Rob [R-GA-7

2013-11-12

House - 11/13/2013 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 223 - 194 (Roll no. 574). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

42 CFR 1007.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... context: Data mining is defined as the practice of electronically sorting Medicaid or other relevant data... and relationships within that data to identify aberrant utilization, billing, or other practices that...

42 CFR 1007.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... context: Data mining is defined as the practice of electronically sorting Medicaid or other relevant data... and relationships within that data to identify aberrant utilization, billing, or other practices that...

Low-Income Community Solar: Utility Return Considerations for Electric Cooperatives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aznar, Alexandra Y; Gagne, Douglas A

The objective of this short report is to identify project structures that make low-income community solar projects more cost-effective, replicable, and scalable, for electric cooperative and municipal utilities. This report explores the tradeoffs between providing energy bill savings for low-income subscribers and utility project returns, as well as some of the key lessons learned from existing successful low-income community solar pilot projects.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruth, M.; Pratt, A.; Lunacek, M.

The combination of distributed energy resources (DER) and retail tariff structures to provide benefits to both utility consumers and the utilities is not well understood. To improve understanding, an Integrated Energy System Model (IESM) is being developed to simulate the physical and economic aspects of DER technologies, the buildings where they reside, and feeders servicing them. The IESM was used to simulate 20 houses with home energy management systems on a single feeder under a time-of-use (TOU) tariff to estimate economic and physical impacts on both the households and the distribution utilities. Home energy management systems (HEMS) reduce consumers’ electricmore » bills by precooling houses in the hours before peak electricity pricing. Utilization of HEMS reduce peak loads during high price hours but shifts it to hours with off-peak and shoulder prices, resulting in a higher peak load. used to simulate 20 houses with home energy management systems on a single feeder under a time-of-use (TOU) tariff to estimate economic and physical impacts on both the households and the distribution utilities. Home energy management systems (HEMS) reduce consumers’ electric bills by precooling houses in the hours before peak electricity pricing. Utilization of HEMS reduce peak loads during high price hours but shifts it to hours with off-peak and shoulder prices, resulting in a higher peak load.« less

11 CFR 9405.11 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... accrue from the date of the billing. (b) Charges for unsuccessful search. The Commission may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if the records located are determined to be exempt from disclosure. If the Commission estimates that search charges are likely to exceed...

5 CFR 2502.14 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Charges for Search and Reproduction § 2502.14 Miscellaneous fee provisions. (a) Charging interest—notice... from the date of billing. (b) Charges for an unsuccessful search. OA may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if records located are determined to be exempt from...

11 CFR 9405.11 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... accrue from the date of the billing. (b) Charges for unsuccessful search. The Commission may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if the records located are determined to be exempt from disclosure. If the Commission estimates that search charges are likely to exceed...

5 CFR 2502.14 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Charges for Search and Reproduction § 2502.14 Miscellaneous fee provisions. (a) Charging interest—notice... from the date of billing. (b) Charges for an unsuccessful search. OA may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if records located are determined to be exempt from...

5 CFR 2502.14 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Charges for Search and Reproduction § 2502.14 Miscellaneous fee provisions. (a) Charging interest—notice... from the date of billing. (b) Charges for an unsuccessful search. OA may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if records located are determined to be exempt from...

5 CFR 2502.14 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Charges for Search and Reproduction § 2502.14 Miscellaneous fee provisions. (a) Charging interest—notice... from the date of billing. (b) Charges for an unsuccessful search. OA may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if records located are determined to be exempt from...

11 CFR 9405.11 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... accrue from the date of the billing. (b) Charges for unsuccessful search. The Commission may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if the records located are determined to be exempt from disclosure. If the Commission estimates that search charges are likely to exceed...

11 CFR 9405.11 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... accrue from the date of the billing. (b) Charges for unsuccessful search. The Commission may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if the records located are determined to be exempt from disclosure. If the Commission estimates that search charges are likely to exceed...

Governors Cite Education Records

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeil, Michele

2007-01-01

The three current presidential hopefuls with experience as state governors have records on education that offer voters an unusually detailed preview of what the nation's schools might expect if any of the three should win the White House next year. Those candidates--New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, on the Democratic side, and former Governors…

Audit of Use and Overuse of Serum Protein Immunofixation Electrophoresis and Serum Free Light Chain Assay in Tertiary Health Care: A Case for Algorithmic Testing to Optimize Laboratory Utilization.

PubMed

Heaton, Christopher; Vyas, Shikhar G; Singh, Gurmukh

2016-04-01

Overuse of laboratory tests is a persistent issue. We examined the use and overuse of serum immunofixation electrophoresis and serum free light chain assays to develop an algorithm for optimizing utilization. A retrospective review of all tests, for investigation of monoclonal gammopathies, for all patients who had any of these tests done from April 24, 2014, through July 25, 2014, was carried out. The test orders were categorized as warranted or not warranted according to criteria presented in the article. A total of 237 patients were tested, and their historical records included 1,503 episodes of testing for one or more of serum protein electrophoresis, serum immunofixation electrophoresis, and serum free light chain assays. Only 46% of the serum immunofixation and 42% serum free light chain assays were warranted. Proper utilization, at our institution alone, would have obviated $64,182.95/year in health care costs, reduced laboratory cost of reagent alone by $26,436.04/year, and put $21,904.92/year of part B reimbursement at risk. Fewer than half of the serum immunofixation and serum free light chain assays added value. The proposed algorithm for testing should improve utilization. Risk to part B billing may be a disincentive to reducing test utilization. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Draft New Home Specification Version 1.1

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The intent of this specification is to reduce indoor and outdoor water usage in new residential homes, thereby lowering consumer utility bills and encouraging water and wastewater.infrastructure savings.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 761) to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to more efficiently develop domestic sources of the minerals and mineral materials of strategic and critical importance to United States economic and national security and manufacturing competitiveness.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Bishop, Rob [R-UT-1

2013-09-17

House - 09/18/2013 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 231 - 190 (Roll no. 464). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2553) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-8

2011-07-19

House - 07/20/2011 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 242 - 178 (Roll no. 609). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

8 CFR 1244.9 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) Duties with the company. (ii) Rent receipts, utility bills (gas, electric, telephone, etc.), receipts, or... the United States showing name of school and period(s) of school attendance; (iv) Hospital or medical...

8 CFR 1244.9 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...) Duties with the company. (ii) Rent receipts, utility bills (gas, electric, telephone, etc.), receipts, or... the United States showing name of school and period(s) of school attendance; (iv) Hospital or medical...

8 CFR 1244.9 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) Duties with the company. (ii) Rent receipts, utility bills (gas, electric, telephone, etc.), receipts, or... the United States showing name of school and period(s) of school attendance; (iv) Hospital or medical...

8 CFR 1244.9 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...) Duties with the company. (ii) Rent receipts, utility bills (gas, electric, telephone, etc.), receipts, or... the United States showing name of school and period(s) of school attendance; (iv) Hospital or medical...

19 CFR 10.711 - Imported directly.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. United States-Jordan Free Trade Agreement... lading, airway bills, packing lists, commercial invoices, receiving and inventory records, and customs...

Building Energy Model Development for Retrofit Homes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chasar, David; McIlvaine, Janet; Blanchard, Jeremy

2012-09-30

Based on previous research conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Florida Solar Energy Center providing technical assistance to implement 22 deep energy retrofits across the nation, 6 homes were selected in Florida and Texas for detailed post-retrofit energy modeling to assess realized energy savings (Chandra et al, 2012). However, assessing realized savings can be difficult for some homes where pre-retrofit occupancy and energy performance are unknown. Initially, savings had been estimated using a HERS Index comparison for these homes. However, this does not account for confounding factors such as occupancy and weather. This research addresses a method to moremore » reliably assess energy savings achieved in deep energy retrofits for which pre-retrofit utility bills or occupancy information in not available. A metered home, Riverdale, was selected as a test case for development of a modeling procedure to account occupancy and weather factors, potentially creating more accurate estimates of energy savings. This “true up” procedure was developed using Energy Gauge USA software and post-retrofit homeowner information and utility bills. The 12 step process adjusts the post-retrofit modeling results to correlate with post-retrofit utility bills and known occupancy information. The “trued” post retrofit model is then used to estimate pre-retrofit energy consumption by changing the building efficiency characteristics to reflect the pre-retrofit condition, but keeping all weather and occupancy-related factors the same. This creates a pre-retrofit model that is more comparable to the post-retrofit energy use profile and can improve energy savings estimates. For this test case, a home for which pre- and post- retrofit utility bills were available was selected for comparison and assessment of the accuracy of the “true up” procedure. Based on the current method, this procedure is quite time intensive. However, streamlined processing spreadsheets or incorporation into existing software tools would improve the efficiency of the process. Retrofit activity appears to be gaining market share, and this would be a potentially valuable capability with relevance to marketing, program management, and retrofit success metrics.« less

Clinical benchmarking enabled by the digital health record.

PubMed

Ricciardi, T N; Masarie, F E; Middleton, B

2001-01-01

Office-based physicians are often ill equipped to report aggregate information about their patients and practice of medicine, since their practices have relied upon paper records for the management of clinical information. Physicians who do not have access to large-scale information technology support can now benefit from low-cost clinical documentation and reporting tools. We developed a hosted clinical data mart for users of a web-enabled charting tool, targeting the solo or small group practice. The system uses secure Java Server Pages with a dashboard-like menu to provide point-and-click access to simple reports such as case mix, medications, utilization, productivity, and patient demographics in its first release. The system automatically normalizes user-entered clinical terms to enhance the quality of structured data. Individual providers benefit from rapid patient identification for disease management, quality of care self-assessments, drug recalls, and compliance with clinical guidelines. The system provides knowledge integration by linking to trusted sources of online medical information in context. Information derived from the clinical record is clinically more accurate than billing data. Provider self-assessment and benchmarking empowers physicians, who may resent "being profiled" by external entities. In contrast to large-scale data warehouse projects, the current system delivers immediate value to individual physicians who choose an electronic clinical documentation tool.

Text mining applied to electronic cardiovascular procedure reports to identify patients with trileaflet aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease.

PubMed

Small, Aeron M; Kiss, Daniel H; Zlatsin, Yevgeny; Birtwell, David L; Williams, Heather; Guerraty, Marie A; Han, Yuchi; Anwaruddin, Saif; Holmes, John H; Chirinos, Julio A; Wilensky, Robert L; Giri, Jay; Rader, Daniel J

2017-08-01

Interrogation of the electronic health record (EHR) using billing codes as a surrogate for diagnoses of interest has been widely used for clinical research. However, the accuracy of this methodology is variable, as it reflects billing codes rather than severity of disease, and depends on the disease and the accuracy of the coding practitioner. Systematic application of text mining to the EHR has had variable success for the detection of cardiovascular phenotypes. We hypothesize that the application of text mining algorithms to cardiovascular procedure reports may be a superior method to identify patients with cardiovascular conditions of interest. We adapted the Oracle product Endeca, which utilizes text mining to identify terms of interest from a NoSQL-like database, for purposes of searching cardiovascular procedure reports and termed the tool "PennSeek". We imported 282,569 echocardiography reports representing 81,164 individuals and 27,205 cardiac catheterization reports representing 14,567 individuals from non-searchable databases into PennSeek. We then applied clinical criteria to these reports in PennSeek to identify patients with trileaflet aortic stenosis (TAS) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Accuracy of patient identification by text mining through PennSeek was compared with ICD-9 billing codes. Text mining identified 7115 patients with TAS and 9247 patients with CAD. ICD-9 codes identified 8272 patients with TAS and 6913 patients with CAD. 4346 patients with AS and 6024 patients with CAD were identified by both approaches. A randomly selected sample of 200-250 patients uniquely identified by text mining was compared with 200-250 patients uniquely identified by billing codes for both diseases. We demonstrate that text mining was superior, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.95 compared to 0.53 by ICD-9 for TAS, and a PPV of 0.97 compared to 0.86 for CAD. These results highlight the superiority of text mining algorithms applied to electronic cardiovascular procedure reports in the identification of phenotypes of interest for cardiovascular research. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Can dialysis patients be accurately identified using healthcare claims data?

PubMed

Taneja, Charu; Berger, Ariel; Inglese, Gary W; Lamerato, Lois; Sloand, James A; Wolff, Greg G; Sheehan, Michael; Oster, Gerry

2014-01-01

While health insurance claims data are often used to estimate the costs of renal replacement therapy in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the accuracy of methods used to identify patients receiving dialysis - especially peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) - in these data is unknown. The study population consisted of all persons aged 18 - 63 years in a large US integrated health plan with ESRD and dialysis-related billing codes (i.e., diagnosis, procedures) on healthcare encounters between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2008. Using billing codes for all healthcare encounters within 30 days of each patient's first dialysis-related claim ("index encounter"), we attempted to designate each study subject as either a "PD patient" or "HD patient." Using alternative windows of ± 30 days, ± 90 days, and ± 180 days around the index encounter, we reviewed patients' medical records to determine the dialysis modality actually received. We calculated the positive predictive value (PPV) for each dialysis-related billing code, using information in patients' medical records as the "gold standard." We identified a total of 233 patients with evidence of ESRD and receipt of dialysis in healthcare claims data. Based on examination of billing codes, 43 and 173 study subjects were designated PD patients and HD patients, respectively (14 patients had evidence of PD and HD, and modality could not be ascertained for 31 patients). The PPV of codes used to identify PD patients was low based on a ± 30-day medical record review window (34.9%), and increased with use of ± 90-day and ± 180-day windows (both 67.4%). The PPV for codes used to identify HD patients was uniformly high - 86.7% based on ± 30-day review, 90.8% based on ± 90-day review, and 93.1% based on ± 180-day review. While HD patients could be accurately identified using billing codes in healthcare claims data, case identification was much more problematic for patients receiving PD. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.

19 CFR 10.777 - Imported directly.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement... bills, packing lists, commercial invoices, receiving and inventory records, and customs entry and exit...

19 CFR 10.817 - Imported directly.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement... bills, packing lists, commercial invoices, receiving and inventory records, and customs entry and exit...

Using Video Conferencing in Lecture Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, Bill; Larson, Erik

2007-01-01

Duquesne University's department of journalism and multimedia arts supports many of its classes with Mediasite Live, a video conferencing system that captures the output of presentation devices and streams it live to the Web, as well as recording presentations for Web streaming or recording to CD or DVD. Bill Gibbs and Erik Larson examine the…

75 FR 79417 - Record of Vote of Meeting Closure

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-20

...] Record of Vote of Meeting Closure I, Isaac Fulwood, of the United States Parole Commission, was present... following Commissioners voted that the meeting be closed: Isaac Fulwood, Cranston J. Mitchell and Patricia K.... Isaac Fulwood, Chairman, U.S. Parole Commission. [FR Doc. 2010-31860 Filed 12-17-10; 8:45 am] BILLING...

36 CFR 404.9 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... United States Code and will accrue from the date of the billing. (b) Charges for unsuccessful search. ABMC may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if records located are determined to be exempt from disclosure. If ABMC estimates that search charges are likely to...

36 CFR § 404.9 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... United States Code and will accrue from the date of the billing. (b) Charges for unsuccessful search. ABMC may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if records located are determined to be exempt from disclosure. If ABMC estimates that search charges are likely to...

36 CFR 404.9 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... United States Code and will accrue from the date of the billing. (b) Charges for unsuccessful search. ABMC may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if records located are determined to be exempt from disclosure. If ABMC estimates that search charges are likely to...

36 CFR 404.9 - Miscellaneous fee provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... United States Code and will accrue from the date of the billing. (b) Charges for unsuccessful search. ABMC may assess charges for time spent searching, even if it fails to locate the records or if records located are determined to be exempt from disclosure. If ABMC estimates that search charges are likely to...

Cultural Resources Mitigation at the McIlvaine Island Site (47Lc160) in Navigation Pool 7, Upper Mississippi River

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

site in 1986 by Debbie and Bill Bauman. The Baumans have since continued their support of understanding and preserving the cultural historical record...this region. For all of these efforts, we express our appreciation to Debbie and Bill. The Baumans were not alone in volunteering their time to assist...willow, silver maple, box elder, ash, elm, cottonwood, and river birch (Finley 1976). Curtis (1959:166) notes that the soils underlying such lowland

Petroleum marketing prices. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Energy and Power of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, First Session on H.R. 1520, May 19, 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The hearing addresses H.R. 1520 a bill that proposes to amend the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act to clarify federal standards governing the termination and nonrenewal of franchise and franchise relationships for the sale of motor fuel. The legislative text of the Bill is given with amendments. Statements of witnesses and documents submitted for the record are included.

Defining care products to finance health care in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Westerdijk, Machiel; Zuurbier, Joost; Ludwig, Martijn; Prins, Sarah

2012-04-01

A case-mix project started in the Netherlands with the primary goal to define a complete set of health care products for hospitals. The definition of the product structure was completed 4 years later. The results are currently being used for billing purposes. This paper focuses on the methodology and techniques that were developed and applied in order to define the casemix product structure. The central research question was how to develop a manageable product structure, i.e., a limited set of hospital products, with acceptable cost homogeneity. For this purpose, a data warehouse with approximately 1.5 million patient records from 27 hospitals was build up over a period of 3 years. The data associated with each patient consist of a large number of a priori independent parameters describing the resource utilization in different stages of the treatment process, e.g., activities in the operating theatre, the lab and the radiology department. Because of the complexity of the database, it was necessary to apply advanced data analysis techniques. The full analyses process that starts from the database and ends up with a product definition consists of four basic analyses steps. Each of these steps has revealed interesting insights. This paper describes each step in some detail and presents the major results of each step. The result consists of 687 product groups for 24 medical specialties used for billing purposes.

Utilization of healthcare services and renewal of health insurance membership: evidence of adverse selection in Ghana.

PubMed

Duku, Stephen Kwasi Opoku; Asenso-Boadi, Francis; Nketiah-Amponsah, Edward; Arhinful, Daniel Kojo

2016-12-01

Utilization of healthcare in Ghana's novel National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has been increasing since inception with associated high claims bill which threatens the scheme's financial sustainability. This paper investigates the presence of adverse selection by assessing the effect of healthcare utilization and frequency of use on NHIS renewal. Routine enrolment and utilization data from 2008 to 2013 in two regions in Ghana was analyzed. Pearson Chi-square test was performed to test if the proportion of insured who utilize healthcare in a particular year and renew membership the following year is significantly different from those who utilize healthcare and drop-out. Logistic regressions were estimated to examine the relationship between healthcare utilization and frequency of use in previous year and NHIS renewal in current year. We found evidence suggestive of the presence of adverse selection in the NHIS. Majority of insured who utilized healthcare renewed their membership whiles most of those who did not utilize healthcare dropped out. The likelihood of renewal was significantly higher for those who utilize healthcare than those who did not and also higher for those who make more health facility visits. The NHIS claims bill is high because high risk individuals who self-select into the scheme makes more health facility visits and creates financial sustainability problems. Policy makers should adopt pragmatic ways of enforcing mandatory enrolment so that low risk individuals remain enrolled; and sustainable ways of increasing revenue whiles ensuring that the societal objectives of the scheme are not compromised.

Costs and utilization of end-stage glaucoma patients receiving visual rehabilitation care: a US multisite retrospective study.

PubMed

Gieser, David K; Tracy Williams, R; O'Connell, William; Pasquale, Louis R; Rosenthal, Bruce P; Walt, John G; Katz, Laura M; Siegartel, Lisa R; Wang, Lujing; Rosenblatt, Lisa C; Stern, Lee S; Doyle, John J

2006-10-01

Glaucoma is a prevalent ophthalmologic disease and leading cause of blindness. A retrospective analysis was conducted to evaluate resources and costs for end-stage glaucoma patients receiving visual rehabilitation care (VRC). A chart review was conducted in 3 United States VRC centers. Charts of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma as the primary cause of vision loss (1998 to 2003) were selected, yielding 81 records. Data were collected from patient-level billing and reimbursement records (ophthalmologist/optometrist visits, glaucoma medications, procedures, and specialized low-vision and glaucoma-related services). Visual rehabilitation services included utilization of low-vision devices, assessment of daily functioning, orientation and mobility training, and patient counseling. Mean age at baseline was 72.7 years [standard deviation (SD)=17.2, range: 29 to 95]. Of those with known sex (n=77), 55.8% were women. Medicare was the payer type for most patients (59.3%), whereas 20% had Medicaid. Mean number of visits was 7.1 (SD=6.1) in year 1 and 3.7 (SD=4.2) in year 2, for an annual mean of 5.4 (SD=5.0) visits overall. Total mean cost per patient in year 1 was greater than year 2 [$2170 (SD=$2252) vs. $1202 (SD=$1080), respectively]; of the total 2-year costs, 15% were VRC, 37% ophthalmology care, and 48% pharmacy. Analysis of nonpharmacy costs revealed that VRC accounted for 28% and ophthalmology for 72%. End-stage glaucoma is associated with appreciable resource utilization and costs, because of both vision rehabilitation and ophthalmology care. Advanced primary open-angle glaucoma has a substantial cost-of-illness, warranting improved management in early stages of disease.

Custodial Interrogation Recording Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18

2014-09-18

House - 10/28/2014 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Sound Recording Simplification Act

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2

2011-09-14

House - 09/23/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Telephone Records Protection Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Amash, Justin [R-MI-3

2013-05-16

House - 06/14/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

RDI's Wisdom Way Solar Village Final Report: Includes Utility Bill Analysis of Occupied Homes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robb Aldrich, Steven Winter Associates

2011-07-01

In 2010, Rural Development, Inc. (RDI) completed construction of Wisdom Way Solar Village (WWSV), a community of ten duplexes (20 homes) in Greenfield, MA. RDI was committed to very low energy use from the beginning of the design process throughout construction. Key features include: 1. Careful site plan so that all homes have solar access (for active and passive); 2. Cellulose insulation providing R-40 walls, R-50 ceiling, and R-40 floors; 3. Triple-pane windows; 4. Airtight construction (~0.1 CFM50/ft2 enclosure area); 5. Solar water heating systems with tankless, gas, auxiliary heaters; 6. PV systems (2.8 or 3.4kWSTC); 7. 2-4 bedrooms, 1,100-1,700more » ft2. The design heating loads in the homes were so small that each home is heated with a single, sealed-combustion, natural gas room heater. The cost savings from the simple HVAC systems made possible the tremendous investments in the homes' envelopes. The Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) monitored temperatures and comfort in several homes during the winter of 2009-2010. In the Spring of 2011, CARB obtained utility bill information from 13 occupied homes. Because of efficient lights, appliances, and conscientious home occupants, the energy generated by the solar electric systems exceeded the electric energy used in most homes. Most homes, in fact, had a net credit from the electric utility over the course of a year. On the natural gas side, total gas costs averaged $377 per year (for heating, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying). Total energy costs were even less - $337 per year, including all utility fees. The highest annual energy bill for any home evaluated was $458; the lowest was $171.« less

Evaluating Outdoor Water Use Demand under Changing Climatic and Demographic Conditions: An Agent-based Modeling Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanta, L.; Berglund, E. Z.; Soh, M. H.

2017-12-01

Outdoor water-use for landscape and irrigation constitutes a significant end-use in total residential water demand. In periods of water shortages, utilities may reduce garden demands by implementing irrigation system audits, rebate programs, local ordinances, and voluntary or mandatory water-use restrictions. Because utilities do not typically record outdoor and indoor water-uses separately, the effects of policies for reducing garden demands cannot be readily calculated. The volume of water required to meet garden demands depends on the housing density, lawn size, type of vegetation, climatic conditions, efficiency of garden irrigation systems, and consumer water-use behaviors. Many existing outdoor demand estimation methods are deterministic and do not include consumer responses to conservation campaigns. In addition, mandatory restrictions may have a substantial impact on reducing outdoor demands, but the effectiveness of mandatory restrictions depends on the timing and the frequency of restrictions, in addition to the distribution of housing density and consumer types within a community. This research investigates a garden end-use model by coupling an agent-based modeling approach and a mechanistic-stochastic water demand model to create a methodology for estimating garden demand and evaluating demand reduction policies. The garden demand model is developed for two water utilities, using a diverse data sets, including residential customer billing records, outdoor conservation programs, frequency and type of mandatory water-use restrictions, lot size distribution, population growth, and climatic data. A set of garden irrigation parameter values, which are based on the efficiency of irrigation systems and irrigation habits of consumers, are determined for a set of conservation ordinances and restrictions. The model parameters are then validated using customer water usage data from the participating water utilities. A sensitivity analysis is conducted for garden irrigation parameters to determine the most significant factors that should be considered by water utilities to reduce outdoor demand. Data from multiple sources and the agent-based modeling methodology are integrated using a holistic approach to assist utilities in efficiently and sustainably managing outdoor demand.

Electric utilities and telecommunications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moeller, J.W.

1995-08-01

Part I of this article will provide some background on the involvement of electric utilities in telecommunications. It will discuss the Power Radio Services, under which the FCC regulates radio communications of electric utilities, the pole attachment statute of the Communications Act, which authorized the FCC to regulate attachments of cable television cables to electric utility poles, and a recent Department of Energy (DOE) report on the need for a demonstration on the use of telecommunications for DSM. Part I will also discuss several recent developments relative to the Power Radio Services and the pole attachment statute. Part II willmore » discuss electric utilities and telecommunications under PUHCA. It will outline the extensive and complex requirements of PUHCA that are applicable to public utility holding companies, as well as the specific requirements of PUHCA for the formation by public utility holding companies of subsidiaries to engage in telecommunications activities. It will also discuss the seven instances in the past decade in which the SEC has approved the formation by public utility holding companies of such subsidiaries. Part III of this article will discuss a principal obstacle to expanded electric utility involvement in telecommunications activities-a series of administrative and judicial decisions that illustrate the potential for dual regulation by the SEC and the FERC to result in confusion and inefficiencies. It will also discuss proposals in Congress to minimize this potential. Part IV will discuss House Bill 3636 and Senate Bill 1822 and their proposals to amend PUHCA to facilitate the formation or acquisition by public utility holding companies of non-utility subsidiaries to engage in telecommunications activities. It will also discuss their proposals to address the potential consequences of dual regulation by the SEC and the FERC of electric utilities involved in telecommunications.« less

Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ

2013-03-07

Senate - 06/05/2014 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 416. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

The Length of Child Anxiety Treatment in a Regional Health System.

PubMed

Whiteside, Stephen P H; Ale, Chelsea M; Young, Brennan; Olsen, Mark W; Biggs, Bridget K; Gregg, Melissa S; Geske, Jennifer R; Homan, Kendra

2016-12-01

Anxiety disorders are often undertreated due to unsuccessful dissemination of evidence-based treatments (EBTs). Lack of empirical data regarding the typical length of treatment in clinical settings may hamper the development of clinically relevant protocols. The current study examined billing records for 335 children ages 7-17 years to quantify the treatment received for newly diagnosed anxiety disorders within a regional health system. The vast majority of patients did not receive a sufficient number of appointments to complete the typical cognitive behavioral therapy protocol or reach the sessions introducing exposure. Although half of the sample received pharmacotherapy, the vast majority received fewer follow-up appointments than participants in pharmacotherapy research studies. Further, the type of treatment (i.e., number of sessions and medication) differed depending on utilization of specialty care. These results underscore the need to develop brief and flexible EBT protocols that can be standardized and implemented in community practice.

Primordial Dwarfism

MedlinePlus

... Topics Gait & Motion Analysis Genetic Disorders Limb Length Discrepancy Orthopedics Orthotics Primordial Dwarfism Locations & Doctors About Primordial ... Sign-In » Patient-Family Resources Insurance We Accept Pay My Bill Financial Assistance Medical Records Support Services ...

Assessment of consumption and expenditure data collected from energy suppliers against bill data obtained from interviewed households: Case study with 2009 RECS

EIA Publications

2013-01-01

By comparing the different data sources (survey respondents provide information about their household characteristics and energy use; interviewers used portable devices to scan the respondents’ utility bills), we hope to learn more about any limitations in the data that we collect, which we can then attempt to address. As such, this limited empirical study is an example of the research that EIA conducts to evaluate and subsequently improve on the quality of data that EIA collects.

Funny money: the attentional role of monetary feedback detached from expected value.

PubMed

Roper, Zachary J J; Vecera, Shaun P

2016-10-01

Stimuli associated with monetary reward can become powerful cues that effectively capture visual attention. We examined whether such value-driven attentional capture can be induced with monetary feedback in the absence of an expected cash payout. To this end, we implemented images of U.S. dollar bills as reward feedback. Participants knew in advance that they would not receive any money based on their performance. Our reward stimuli-$5 and $20 bill images-were thus dissociated from any practical utility. Strikingly, we observed a reliable attentional capture effect for the mere images of bills. Moreover, this finding generalized to Monopoly money. In two control experiments, we found no evidence in favor of nominal or symbolic monetary value. Hence, we claim that bill images are special monetary representations, such that there are strong associations between the defining visual features of bills and reward, probably due to a lifelong learning history. Together, we show that the motivation to earn cash plays a minor role when it comes to monetary rewards, while bill-defining visual features seem to be sufficient. These findings have the potential to influence human factor applications, such as gamification, and can be extended to novel value systems, such as the electronic cash Bitcoin being developed for use in mobile banking. Finally, our procedure represents a proof of concept on how images of money can be used to conserve expenditures in the experimental context.

Economic and clinical comparison of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate/polymer mesh tape with skin staples in total knee replacement.

PubMed

Sutton, Nadia; Schmitz, Niels-Derrek; Johnston, Stephen S

2018-04-01

To compare economic and clinical outcomes between skin staples and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate plus polymer mesh tape, Dermabond Prineo skin closure system, (SCS) among patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR). Retrospective, observational study using the Premier Healthcare Database, which comprises hospital administrative and billing data for over 700 hospitals in the US. Patients selected for study had an elective hospital admission, with discharge occurring between January 2012 and September 2015, carrying primary ICD-9-CM procedure and diagnosis codes for TKR and osteoarthritis. Patients were classified into two mutually-exclusive groups based on billing records during the index admission: those with billing record(s) for the skin closure system (SCS group); and those with billing record(s) for skin staples (staple group). Primary outcomes were index admission's length of stay (LOS), total hospital costs, and discharge status (skilled nursing facility (SNF)/other versus home/home health-care); exploratory outcomes included operating room time (ORT) during index admission and 30, 60, and 90-day readmissions. The SCS and staple groups were propensity score matched (1:1/nearest neighbour/caliper=0.10) on patient, hospital, and provider characteristics. Multivariable regressions accounting for hospital-level clustering after matching were used to compare outcomes between study groups. Each group comprised 971 patients (1942 total patients; mean age: 65.3 years; female: 63.5%). The groups were generally well-balanced on matching covariates: mean standardised difference calculated across 49 covariates=0.049. Compared with the staple group, the SCS group had statistically significant shorter LOS (2.8 days versus 3.2 days, p=0.002), lower rate of discharge to SNF/other versus home/home health-care (26.4% versus 38.5%, p=0.011), and lower rate of 30, 60, and 90-day readmissions (30-day, 1.8% versus 4.4%, p=0.006; 60-day, 3.0% versus 5.4%, p<0.001; 90-day, 5.4% versus 7.4%, p=0.016). Differences between the groups for other outcomes were not statistically significant. Among patients undergoing TKR, use of the SCS was associated with shorter LOS, less resource intensive discharge status, and lower rates of all-cause readmission as compared with skin staples.

Preserving the American Historical Record Act

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22

2009-04-29

House - 06/26/2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Preserving the American Historical Record Act

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22

2009-05-05

House - 07/31/2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Impact of Outpatient Rehabilitation Medicare Reimbursement Caps on Utilization and Cost of Rehabilitation Care After Ischemic Stroke: Do Caps Contain Costs?

PubMed

Simpson, Annie N; Bonilha, Heather S; Kazley, Abby S; Zoller, James S; Simpson, Kit N; Ellis, Charles

2015-11-01

To estimate the proportion of patients with ischemic stroke who fall within and above the total outpatient rehabilitation caps before and after the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 took effect; and to estimate the cost of poststroke outpatient rehabilitation cost and resource utilization in these patients before and after the implementation of the caps. Retrospective cohort study. Medicare reimbursement system. Medicare beneficiaries from the state of South Carolina: the 1997 stroke cohort sample (N=2667) and the 2004 stroke cohort sample (N=2679). Not applicable. Proportion of beneficiaries with bills within and above the cap before and after the cap was enacted, and total estimated 1-year rehabilitation Medicare payments before and after the cap. The proportion of patients with stroke exceeding the cap in 2004 after the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 was enacted was significantly lower (5.8%) than those in 1997 (9.5%) had there been a cap at that time (P=.004). However, when the proportion of individuals exceeding the cap among both the outpatient provider and facility files was examined, there was a greater proportion of patients with stroke in 2004 (64.6%) than in 1997 (31.9%) who exceeded the cap (P<.0001). The estimated average 1-year Medicare payments for rehabilitation services, when examining only the Part B outpatient provider bills, did not differ between the cohorts (P=.12), and in fact, decreased slightly from $1052 in 1997 to $833 in 2004. However, when examining rehabilitation costs using all available outpatient Medicare bills, the average estimated payments greatly increased (P<.0001) from $5691 in 1997 to $9606 in 2004. These findings suggest that billing practices may have changed after outpatient rehabilitation services caps were enacted by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Rehabilitation services billing may have shifted from Part B provider bills to being more frequently included in facility charges. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

20 CFR 402.180 - Procedure on assessing and collecting fees for providing records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... want us to continue to process your request. Also, before we start work on your request under § 402.140... start searching for the records you want. If so, we will let you know promptly upon receiving your... numerous small bills to frequent requesters, or to businesses or agents representing requesters. For...

15 CFR 732.5 - Steps regarding Shipper's Export Declaration or Automated Export System record, Destination...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... than anti-terrorism (AT). The only exception to this requirement would be the return of unwanted... be entered on the invoice and on the bill of lading, air waybill, or other export control document... THE EAR § 732.5 Steps regarding Shipper's Export Declaration or Automated Export System record...

15 CFR 732.5 - Steps regarding Shipper's Export Declaration or Automated Export System record, Destination...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... than anti-terrorism (AT). The only exception to this requirement would be the return of unwanted... be entered on the invoice and on the bill of lading, air waybill, or other export control document... THE EAR § 732.5 Steps regarding Shipper's Export Declaration or Automated Export System record...

15 CFR 732.5 - Steps regarding Shipper's Export Declaration or Automated Export System record, Destination...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... than anti-terrorism (AT). The only exception to this requirement would be the return of unwanted... be entered on the invoice and on the bill of lading, air waybill, or other export control document... THE EAR § 732.5 Steps regarding Shipper's Export Declaration or Automated Export System record...

15 CFR 732.5 - Steps regarding Shipper's Export Declaration or Automated Export System record, Destination...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... than anti-terrorism (AT). The only exception to this requirement would be the return of unwanted... be entered on the invoice and on the bill of lading, air waybill, or other export control document... THE EAR § 732.5 Steps regarding Shipper's Export Declaration or Automated Export System record...

Preventing Termination of Utility Services in Bankruptcy Act of 2014

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13

2014-07-17

House - 09/02/2014 Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Two Senate bills, S. 1517 and S. 1578, were the subject of joint hearings on the issue of the disposal of low-level wastes. At issue was the inability to meet the January 1 deadline for the states to develop regional compacts. Witnesses discussed interim measures until the compacts are in place as proposed in the two bills. S. 1517 continues DOE financial and technical assistance, and revises the guidelines for regional compacts. S. 1578 focuses on improving the procedures for establishing and implementing the compacts. The witnesses presented the views of several states, the nuclear and electric power industries, environmentalmore » and safety groups, and others. Two appendices with additional responses and material submitted for the record follow the text of the two bills and the statements and testimony of 24 witnesses.« less

Public Access to Historical Records Act

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA

2011-01-25

Senate - 01/25/2011 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Public Access to Historical Records Act

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA

2010-12-08

Senate - 12/08/2010 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Public Access to Historical Records Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA

2013-01-23

Senate - 01/23/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2009

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Towns, Edolphus [D-NY-10

2009-01-06

Senate - 05/19/2009 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 64. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

38 CFR 21.9770 - Administrative.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION Post-9/11 GI Bill Administrative § 21.9770 Administrative. In...—Conflicting interests; (e) Section 21.7307—Examination of records; and (f) Section 21.7310—Civil rights...

76 FR 53700 - Records Schedules; Availability and Request for Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-29

... business intelligence and finance and accounting information to Department of Defense (DOD) decision makers... to process printing orders and bill customers. 15. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security...

Bill Lowrie In The Apennines U Reading - The Pelagic Record of Geomagnetic Reversals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, Walter

Twenty five years ago, Bill Lowrie and I, along with Mike Arthur, Al Fischer, Gio- vanni Napoleone, Isabella Premoli Silva and Bill Roggenthen, published a set of five papers in the Geological Society of America Bulletin (March 1977), reporting a re- markable new source of information on the geomagnetic polarity time scale. The re- versal sequence was already known back to the Late Cretaceous on the basis of marine magnetic anomalies, but only as a sequence of longer and shorter polarity intervals, a kind of fingerprint with almost no age calibration. At Gubbio, in the Umbrian Apen- nines of Italy, we discovered that the polarity intervals are also recorded in pelagic limestones, deposited quietly at moderate oceanic depths at rates of order 10 m/Myr. and these limestones are literally made of fossils, notably the planktic foraminifera which are the best age correlation tool for the last 100 Myr. The reversal sequence was now datable. You can make a discovery like this either by looking for it, as Al Fischer did U hoping ° that such a record would be present and waiting until magnetometers improved enough to make it possible to measure these very weakly magnetic rocks U or by stumbling ° on it as Bill and I did. We went to the Apennines hoping to measure paleomagnetically a tectonic rotation of the Italian crust. Digital spinner magnetometers had just become available and Bill found that he could measure the remanence of the Apennine pelagic limestones I had been studying in the field. Tectonic rotation of the Italian crust turned out to be very difficult to detect, because interbed slip was a major complication. But we accidentally sampled both normal and reversed beds in the Scaglia rossa limestone on our first trip, and back in the lab we recognized that we had a polarity record in front of us. The microfossils made it a datable record, which raised great excitement among our colleagues at Lamont, where sea-floor magnetic reversals were the key to tectonic reconstructions. We dropped everything else and raced to measure the polar- ity stratigraphy of the Apennine limestones. When we found that Al Fischer and his friends were doing the same, we teamed up with them. Scientifically it was a wonderful project. The pelagic limestone sequence in the Apen- nines represents more than 100 Myr of Earth history, and we worked our way up and down that section over a number of years, publishing papers in which we gradually 1 dated the reversal sequence from the Oligocene back to the end of the Cretaceous Long Normal polarity interval. We had a little window of opportunity because deep- sea drilling cores of similar lithologies on the modern sea floor did not give usable results until the development of the hydraulic piston corer got past the problem of drilling vibrations resetting the magnetization in the soft deep-sea sediments. In con- trast, our hard limestones in the mountains gave excellent results, but only because of the exquisite care Bill took in measuring and cleaning these very weakly magnetic rocks. We felt slightly smug that with a dilapidated Fiat 850 and a converted-chainsaw drill we could get better results than scientists with a multi-million-dollar drilling ship. Even now I cannot hear a chain saw without a flood of memories of the agony of start- ing the thing, and the interesting Scottish words Bill used on occasions like that. In the field we developed high-precision stratigraphic measurement techniques, and returned year after year to fill in the gaps and find the exact position of reversals. It was a great personal and cultural experience as well. Bill and I drove and walked and measured and drilled all over Umbria and the Marche, a land of history, music, gentle beauty, and delicious food. In the evenings we walked in little historic cities like Assisi, Perugia, Spoleto and Gubbio, talking and arguing about history, science, and Mediaeval architecture. In those years Bill undertook my education in geophysics, which has benefitted me ever since. Perhaps it was an omen U on our first trip U when Bill and I stood by a balustrade in ° ° Assisi, looking down to the valley below. The Porziuncola U the basilica built over a ° ruined church that Saint Francis had restored U was precisely transfixed by a perfect ° rainbow. It was almost as if San Francesco were saying, "Welcome to Umbria! Here you will find wonderful things." and that is the way it turned out. 2

[Costs of maternal-infant care in an institutionalized health care system].

PubMed

Villarreal Ríos, E; Salinas Martínez, A M; Guzmán Padilla, J E; Garza Elizondo, M E; Tovar Castillo, N H; García Cornejo, M L

1998-01-01

Partial and total maternal and child health care costs were estimated. The study was developed in a Primary Care Health Clinic (PCHC) and a General Hospital (GH) of a social security health care system. Maternal and child health care services, type of activity and frequency utilization during 1995, were defined; cost examination was done separately for the PCHC and the GH. Estimation of fixed cost included departmentalization, determination of inputs, costs, basic services disbursements, and weighing. These data were related to depreciation, labor period and productivity. Estimation of variable costs required the participation of field experts; costs corresponded to those registered in billing records. The fixed cost plus the variable cost determined the unit cost, which multiplied by the of frequency of utilization generated the prenatal care, labor and delivery care, and postnatal care cost. The sum of these three equaled the maternal and child health care cost. The prenatal care cost was $1,205.33, the labor and delivery care cost was $3,313.98, and the postnatal care was $559.91. The total cost of the maternal and child health care corresponded to $5,079.22. Cost information is valuable for the health care personnel for health care planning activities.

Wound center facility billing: A retrospective analysis of time, wound size, and acuity scoring for determining facility level of service.

PubMed

Fife, Caroline E; Walker, David; Farrow, Wade; Otto, Gordon

2007-01-01

Outpatient wound center facility reimbursement for Medicare beneficiaries can be a challenge to determine and obtain. To compare methods of calculating facility service levels for outpatient wound centers and to demonstrate the advantages of an acuity-based billing system (one that incorporates components of facility work that is non-reimbursable by procedure codes and that represents an activity-based costing approach to medical billing), a retrospective study of 5,098 patient encounters contained in a wound care-specific electronic medical record database was conducted. Approximately 500 patient visits to the outpatient wound center of a Texas regional hospital between April 2003 and November 2004 were categorized by service level in documentation and facility management software. Visits previously billed using a time-based system were compared to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' proposed three-tiered wound size-based system. The time-based system also was compared to an acuity-based scoring system. The Pearson correlation coefficient between billed level of service by time and estimated level of service by acuity was 0.442 and the majority of follow-up visits were billed as Level 3 and above (on a time level of 1 to 5) , confirming that time is not a surrogate for actual work performed. Wound size also was found to be unrelated to service level (Pearson correlation = 0.017) and 97% of wound areas were < 100 cm2. The acuity-based scoring system produced a near-normal distribution of results, producing more mid-range billings than extremes; no other method produced this distribution. Hospital-based outpatient wound centers should develop, review, and refine acuity score-based models on which to determine billed level of service.

76 FR 28961 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-19

... Regional Service Center, Functional Automation & Information Management Section, 4040 North Fairfax Drive... confirming billing or expense data. The DoD ``Blanket Routine Uses'' set forth at the beginning of the Office...

Servicemember's Electronic Health Records Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL

2013-07-15

Senate - 10/30/2013 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-280. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Preserving the American Historical Record Act

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT

2010-04-19

Senate - 04/19/2010 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Middle Class Tax Cut Act

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2012-07-19

Senate - 07/25/2012 Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 48. Record Vote Number: 184. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Utility Tax Relief Program in the Netherlands

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-06

Management Command, Europe Region LQA Living Quarters Allowance VAT Value Added Tax INSPECTOR GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 400 ARMY NAVY DRIVE...savings on their utility bills. However, for DOD civilians receiving Living Quarters Allowance ( LQA ),2 DOD realizes the cost savings through reduced... LQA payments, unless the civilian’s housing expenses exceed the maximum allowable LQA . 1 For the purpose of this report, DOD personnel refers to

Overseas Teachers Act of 1984. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Compensation and Employee Benefits of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives, Ninety-Eighth Congress, Second Session on H.R. 6175, a Bill to Amend the Defense Department Overseas Teachers Pay and Personnel Practices Act.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Post Office and Civil Service.

Testimony on the bill to amend the Defense Department Overseas Teachers Pay and Personnel Practices Act (1984) is presented. Statements are recorded from: (1) Representative Mary Rose Oakar (Ohio); (2) Keith Geiger, vice president, National Education Association; (3) William L. Smith, Director, Administrative Resource Management Services, U.S.…

Designing Rules for Accounting Transaction Identification based on Indonesian NLP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iswandi, I.; Suwardi, I. S.; Maulidevi, N. U.

2017-03-01

Recording accounting transactions carried out by the evidence of the transactions. It can be invoices, receipts, letters of intent, electricity bill, telephone bill, etc. In this paper, we proposed design of rules to identify the entities located on the sales invoice. There are some entities identified in a sales invoice, namely : invoice date, company name, invoice number, product id, product name, quantity and total price. Identification this entities using named entity recognition method. The entities generated from the rules used as a basis for automation process of data input into the accounting system.

Help My House Program Profile

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Learn about Help My House, a program that helps participants reduce their utility bills by nearly 35 percent through low-cost loans for EE improvements. Learn more about the key features, approaches, funding sources, and achievements of this program.

Produced Water Utilization Act of 2009

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Hall, Ralph M. [R-TX-4

2009-01-13

Senate - 02/12/2009 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Verify by Genability - Providing Solar Customers with Accurate Reports of Utility Bill Cost Savings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), partnering with Genability and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Incubator program, independently verified the accuracy of Genability's monthly cost savings.

The gates open wide. [The Energy Policy Act of 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burton, S.D.

1993-01-01

For independent electric producers, the new energy law opens wide the gate to the future. It does not give an entitlement or a subsidy; merely the freedom to expand - along with utilities - electricity's share of the next century's energy market. If anything, the new law, by removing investment barriers and creating the right to transmission access, affirms the potential of electrical generation and urges us all to get on with the job. It underscores the most powerful forces for future growth: the increasing demand for more electric power, greater production at less cost, and lessening demand on themore » environment's resources. With half-century-old barriers to broader production finally down, the real action now belongs to the regulators. It's one thing to pass a bill. It's quite another to make it work. The reform bill does not deregulate, but essentially defines public policy objectives (competitive markets), creates a framework to develop them, and vest responsibility for the regulation of the generation and sale of power where it belongs: with state public utility commissions and the FERC. It is going to be up to them to set the limits of the market, and to set the pace of expansion; in other words, to rearrange the play to achieve the bill's objective.« less

77 FR 30592 - Agency Information Collection (Yellow Ribbon Agreement Under Title 38 U.S.C. Chapter 33) Activity...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-23

... McLamb, Program Analyst, Enterprise Records Service. [FR Doc. 2012-12384 Filed 5-22-12; 8:45 am] BILLING... Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of... the Submission Contact: Denise McLamb, Enterprise Records Service (005R1B), Department of Veterans...

Current issues in billing and coding in interventional pain medicine.

PubMed

Manchikanti, L

2000-10-01

Interventional pain management is a dynamic field with changes occurring on a daily basis, not only with technology but also with regulations that have a substantial financial impact on practices. Regulations are imposed not only by the federal government and other regulatory agencies, and also by a multitude of other payors, state governments and medical boards. Documentation of medical necessity with coding that correlates with multiple components of the patient's medical record, operative report, and billing statement is extremely important. Numerous changes which have occurred in the practice of interventional pain management in the new millennium continue to impact the financial viability of interventional pain practices along with patient access to these services. Thus, while complying with regulations of billing, coding and proper, effective, and ethical practice of pain management, it is also essential for physicians to understand financial aspects and the impact of various practice patterns. This article provides guidelines which are meant to provide practical considerations for billing and coding of interventional techniques in the management of chronic pain based on the current state of the art and science of interventional pain management. Hence, these guidelines do not constitute inflexible treatment, coding, billing or documentation recommendations. It is expected that a provider will establish a plan of care on a case-by-case basis taking into account an individual patient's medical condition, personal needs, and preferences, along with physician's experience and in a similar manner, billing and coding practices will be developed. Based on an individual patient's needs, treatment, billing and coding, different from what is outlined here is not only warranted but essential.

Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1

2013-01-03

House - 01/25/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, And Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Bring Jobs Home Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Walsh, John E. [D-MT

2014-07-08

Senate - 07/30/2014 Cloture on the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 54 - 42. Record Vote Number: 249. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

jsc2017e049146

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-24

jsc2017e049146 (April 24, 2017) --- Johnson Space Center employees and Center Director watch President Donald Trump call Peggy Whitson on space station for her record-breaking stay aboard the International Space Station. (Photo Credit: NASA/Allison Bills)

jsc2017e049148

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-24

jsc2017e049148 (April 24, 2017) --- Johnson Space Center employees and Center Director watch President Donald Trump call Peggy Whitson on space station for her record-breaking stay aboard the International Space Station. (Photo Credit: NASA/Allison Bills)

17 CFR 32.12 - Exemption from suspension of commodity option transactions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... bills, or unencumbered warehouse receipts, equal to an amount by which the value of each transaction..., complete and systematic records together with all pertinent data and memoranda of or relating to such...

Future of electronic health records: implications for decision support.

PubMed

Rothman, Brian; Leonard, Joan C; Vigoda, Michael M

2012-01-01

The potential benefits of the electronic health record over traditional paper are many, including cost containment, reductions in errors, and improved compliance by utilizing real-time data. The highest functional level of the electronic health record (EHR) is clinical decision support (CDS) and process automation, which are expected to enhance patient health and healthcare. The authors provide an overview of the progress in using patient data more efficiently and effectively through clinical decision support to improve health care delivery, how decision support impacts anesthesia practice, and how some are leading the way using these systems to solve need-specific issues. Clinical decision support uses passive or active decision support to modify clinician behavior through recommendations of specific actions. Recommendations may reduce medication errors, which would result in considerable savings by avoiding adverse drug events. In selected studies, clinical decision support has been shown to decrease the time to follow-up actions, and prediction has proved useful in forecasting patient outcomes, avoiding costs, and correctly prompting treatment plan modifications by clinicians before engaging in decision-making. Clinical documentation accuracy and completeness is improved by an electronic health record and greater relevance of care data is delivered. Clinical decision support may increase clinician adherence to clinical guidelines, but educational workshops may be equally effective. Unintentional consequences of clinical decision support, such as alert desensitization, can decrease the effectiveness of a system. Current anesthesia clinical decision support use includes antibiotic administration timing, improved documentation, more timely billing, and postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis. Electronic health record implementation offers data-mining opportunities to improve operational, financial, and clinical processes. Using electronic health record data in real-time for decision support and process automation has the potential to both reduce costs and improve the quality of patient care. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Usability inspection to improve an electronic provincial medication repository.

PubMed

Kitson, Nicole A; Price, Morgan; Bowen, Michael; Lau, Francis

2013-01-01

Medication errors are a significant source of actual and potential harm for patients. Community medication records have the potential to reduce medication errors, but they can also introduce unintended consequences when there is low fit to task (low cognitive fit). PharmaNet is a provincially managed electronic repository that contains the records for community-based pharmacy-dispensed medications in British Columbia. This research explores the usability of PharmaNet, as a representative community-based medication repository. We completed usability inspections of PharmaNet through vendor applications. Vendor participants were asked to complete activity-driven scenarios, which highlighted aspects of medication management workflow. Screen recording was later reviewed. Heuristics were applied to explore usability issues and improvement opportunities. Usability inspection was conducted with four PharmaNet applications. Ninety-six usability issues were identified; half of these had potential implications for patient safety. These were primarily related to login and logout procedures; display of patient name; display of medications; update and display of alert information; and the changing or discontinuation of medications. PharmaNet was designed primarily to support medication dispensing and billing activities by community pharmacies, but is also used to support care providers with monitoring and prescribing activities. As such, some of the features do not have a strong fit for other clinical activities. To improve fit, we recommend: having a Current Medications List and Displaying Medication Utilization Charts.

Uncertainties in the Value of Bill Savings from Behind-the-Meter, Residential Photovoltaic Systems: The Roles of Electricity Market Conditions, Retail Rate Design, and Net Metering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darghouth, Naim Richard

Net metering has become a widespread policy mechanism in the U.S. for supporting customer adoption of distributed photovoltaics (PV), allowing customers with PV systems to reduce their electric bills by offsetting their consumption with PV generation, independent of the timing of the generation relative to consumption. Although net metering is one of the principal drivers for the residential PV market in the U.S., the academic literature on this policy has been sparse and this dissertation contributes to this emerging body of literature. This dissertation explores the linkages between the availability of net metering, wholesale electricity market conditions, retail rates, and the residential bill savings from behind-the-meter PV systems. First, I examine the value of the bill savings that customers receive under net metering and alternatives to net metering, and the associated role of retail rate design, based on current rates and a sample of approximately two hundred residential customers of California's two largest electric utilities. I find that the bill savings per kWh of PV electricity generated varies greatly, largely attributable to the increasing block structure of the California utilities' residential retail rates. I also find that net metering provides significantly greater bill savings than alternative compensation mechanisms based on avoided costs. However, retail electricity rates may shift as wholesale electricity market conditions change. I then investigate a potential change in market conditions -- increased solar PV penetrations -- on wholesale prices in the short-term based on the merit-order effect. This demonstrates the potential price effects of changes in market conditions, but also points to a number of methodological shortcomings of this method, motivating my usage of a long-term capacity investment and economic dispatch model to examine wholesale price effects of various wholesale market scenarios in the subsequent analysis. By developing three types of retail rates (a flat rate, a time-of-use rate, and real-time pricing) from these wholesale price profiles, I examine bill savings from PV generation for the ten wholesale market scenarios under net metering and an alternative to net metering where hourly excess PV generation is compensated at the wholesale price. Most generally, I challenge the common assertion that PV compensation is likely to stay constant (or rise) due to constant (or rising) retail rates, and find that future electricity market scenarios can drive substantial changes in residential retail rates and that these changes, in concert with variations in retail rate structures and PV compensation mechanisms, interact to place substantial uncertainty on the future value of bill savings from residential PV.

Determination of VA health care costs.

PubMed

Barnett, Paul G

2003-09-01

In the absence of billing data, alternative methods are used to estimate the cost of hospital stays, outpatient visits, and treatment innovations in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The choice of method represents a trade-off between accuracy and research cost. The direct measurement method gathers information on staff activities, supplies, equipment, space, and workload. Since it is expensive, direct measurement should be reserved for finding short-run costs, evaluating provider efficiency, or determining the cost of treatments that are innovative or unique to VA. The pseudo-bill method combines utilization data with a non-VA reimbursement schedule. The cost regression method estimates the cost of VA hospital stays by applying the relationship between cost and characteristics of non-VA hospitalizations. The Health Economics Resource Center uses pseudo-bill and cost regression methods to create an encounter-level database of VA costs. Researchers are also beginning to use the VA activity-based cost allocation system.

Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT

2011-11-30

Senate - 04/26/2012 Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 68 - 31. Record Vote Number: 87. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Managing Costs and Medical Information

Cancer.gov

People with cancer may face major financial challenges and need help dealing with the high costs of care. Cancer treatment can be very expensive, even when you have insurance. Learn ways to manage medical information, paperwork, bills, and other records.

Pest Management Records Modernization Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Schrader, Kurt [D-OR-5

2014-11-14

Senate - 12/03/2014 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Repeal Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ

2012-03-19

Senate - 03/29/2012 Cloture on the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 47. Record Vote Number: 63. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Taiwan's perspective on electronic medical records' security and privacy protection: lessons learned from HIPAA.

PubMed

Yang, Che-Ming; Lin, Herng-Ching; Chang, Polun; Jian, Wen-Shan

2006-06-01

The protection of patients' health information is a very important concern in the information age. The purpose of this study is to ascertain what constitutes an effective legal framework in protecting both the security and privacy of health information, especially electronic medical records. All sorts of bills regarding electronic medical data protection have been proposed around the world including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of the U.S. The trend of a centralized bill that focuses on managing computerized health information is the part that needs our further attention. Under the sponsor of Taiwan's Department of Health (DOH), our expert panel drafted the "Medical Information Security and Privacy Protection Guidelines", which identifies nine principles and entails 12 articles, in the hope that medical organizations will have an effective reference in how to manage their medical information in a confidential and secured fashion especially in electronic transactions.

To amend title 40, United States Code, to provide additional authority and definitions relating to public utility contracts.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-29

2009-01-06

House - 02/24/2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

SUSTAINABLE HOUSING AT PINE RIDGE RESERVATION

EPA Science Inventory

The Pine Ridge Reservation, located in rural South Dakota is plagued with deteriorating infrastructure, poverty, lack of local employment, and high utility bills. Many of the residents, the Oglala Lakota Nation, live in mobile homes or substandard housing and spend nearly 25% of...

Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5

2013-03-04

03/26/2013 Became Public Law No: 113-6. (TXT | PDF) (All Actions) Notes: A House explanatory statement was printed in the March 6, 2013, Congressional Record, beginning on page H1029. A Senate explanatory statement was printed in the March 11, 2013, Congressional Record, beginning on page S1287. Tracker: This bill has the status Became LawHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Natural language processing of clinical notes for identification of critical limb ischemia.

PubMed

Afzal, Naveed; Mallipeddi, Vishnu Priya; Sohn, Sunghwan; Liu, Hongfang; Chaudhry, Rajeev; Scott, Christopher G; Kullo, Iftikhar J; Arruda-Olson, Adelaide M

2018-03-01

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a complication of advanced peripheral artery disease (PAD) with diagnosis based on the presence of clinical signs and symptoms. However, automated identification of cases from electronic health records (EHRs) is challenging due to absence of a single definitive International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 or ICD-10) code for CLI. In this study, we extend a previously validated natural language processing (NLP) algorithm for PAD identification to develop and validate a subphenotyping NLP algorithm (CLI-NLP) for identification of CLI cases from clinical notes. We compared performance of the CLI-NLP algorithm with CLI-related ICD-9 billing codes. The gold standard for validation was human abstraction of clinical notes from EHRs. Compared to billing codes the CLI-NLP algorithm had higher positive predictive value (PPV) (CLI-NLP 96%, billing codes 67%, p < 0.001), specificity (CLI-NLP 98%, billing codes 74%, p < 0.001) and F1-score (CLI-NLP 90%, billing codes 76%, p < 0.001). The sensitivity of these two methods was similar (CLI-NLP 84%; billing codes 88%; p < 0.12). The CLI-NLP algorithm for identification of CLI from narrative clinical notes in an EHR had excellent PPV and has potential for translation to patient care as it will enable automated identification of CLI cases for quality projects, clinical decision support tools and support a learning healthcare system. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Federal Records Accountability Act of 2014

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Meadows, Mark [R-NC-11

2014-07-23

Senate - 09/17/2014 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Student Loan Affordability Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI

2013-05-14

Senate - 06/06/2013 Cloture on the motion to proceed to measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 46. Record Vote Number: 143. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Cantor, Eric [R-VA-7

2010-03-18

House - 03/18/2010 On motion to table the measure Agreed to by recorded vote: 232 - 181 (Roll no. 132). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

To authorize appropriations for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through fiscal year 2014.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Clay, Wm. Lacy [D-MO-1

2009-03-17

House - 05/04/2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Boehner, John A. [R-OH-8

2010-04-14

House - 04/14/2010 On motion to refer Agreed to by recorded vote: 235 - 157, 17 Present (Roll no. 202). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Carter, John R. [R-TX-31

2009-10-07

House - 10/07/2009 On motion to refer Agreed to by recorded vote: 246 - 153, 19 Present (Roll No. 759). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

77 FR 4885 - Rural Business Investment Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

...-AA80 Rural Business Investment Program AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service and Rural Utilities... several technical amendments to correct the Rural Business Investment Program (RBIP) regulation, including one to conform to the 2008 Farm Bill provision that allows a Rural Business Investment Company two...

NREL Hosts Free Workshop on Winterizing Your Home

Science.gov Websites

Energy Laboratory (NREL) will describe ways to cut your utility bills this winter at a free workshop Oct strategies to keep the heat where it belongs - inside your home. Who: The workshop is free and open to the

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

President Obama

On October 27th, Baltimore Gas & Electric was selected to receive $200 million for Smart Grid innovation projects under the Recovery Act. Watch as members of their team, along with President Obama, explain how building a smarter grid will help consumers cut their utility bills, battle climate change and create jobs.

Enhancing Safety in Medicine Utilizing Leading Advanced Simulation Technologies to Improve Outcomes Now Act of 2009

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA

2009-03-17

Senate - 03/17/2009 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Benefits and Costs of Aggressive Energy Efficiency Programs and the Impacts of Alternative Sources of Funding: Case Study of Massachusetts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cappers, Peter; Satchwell, Andrew; Goldman, Charles

2010-08-06

Increased interest by state (and federal) policymakers and regulatory agencies in pursuing aggressive energy efficiency efforts could deliver significant utility bill savings for customers while having long-term implications for ratepayers (e.g. potential rate impacts). Equity and distributional concerns associated with the authorized recovery of energy efficiency program costs may necessitate the pursuit of alternative program funding approaches. In 2008, Massachusetts passed the Green Communities Act which directed its energy efficiency (EE) program administrators to obtain all cost-effective EE resources. This goal has translated into achieving annual electric energy savings equivalent to a 2.4% reduction in retail sales from energy efficiencymore » programs in 2012. Representatives of electricity consumer groups supported the new portfolio of EE programs (and the projected bill savings) but raised concerns about the potential rate impacts associated with achieving such aggressive EE goals, leading policymakers to seek out alternative funding sources which can potentially mitigate these effects. Utility administrators have also raised concerns about under-recovery of fixed costs when aggressive energy efficiency programs are pursued and have proposed ratemaking policies (e.g. decoupling) and business models that better align the utility's financial interests with the state's energy efficiency public policy goals. Quantifying these concerns and identifying ways they can be addressed are crucial steps in gaining the support of major stakeholder groups - lessons that can apply to other states looking to significantly increase savings targets that can be achieved from their own ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs. We use a pro-forma utility financial model to quantify the bill and rate impacts on electricity customers when very aggressive annual energy efficiency savings goals ({approx}2.4%) are achieved over the long-term and also assess the impact of different cost recovery approaches that integrate alternative revenue sources. We also analyze alternative lost fixed cost recovery approaches to better understand how to mitigate the erosion of utility shareholder returns in states that have adopted (and achieved) very aggressive savings targets.« less

Implementing a mixed-mode design for collecting administrative records: striking a balance between quality and burden

EIA Publications

2012-01-01

RECS relies on actual records from energy suppliers to produce robust survey estimates of household energy consumption and expenditures. During the RECS Energy Supplier Survey (ESS), energy billing records are collected from the companies that supply electricity, natural gas, fuel oil/kerosene, and propane (LPG) to the interviewed households. As Federal agencies expand the use of administrative records to enhance, replace, or evaluate survey data, EIA has explored more flexible, reliable and efficient techniques to collect energy billing records. The ESS has historically been a mail-administered survey, but EIA introduced web data collection with the 2009 RECS ESS. In that survey, energy suppliers self-selected their reporting mode among several options: standardized paper form, on-line fillable form or spreadsheet, or failing all else, a nonstandard format of their choosing. In this paper, EIA describes where reporting mode appears to influence the data quality. We detail the reporting modes, the embedded and post-hoc quality control and consistency checks that were performed, the extent of detectable errors, and the methods used for correcting data errors. We explore by mode the levels of unit and item nonresponse, number of errors, and corrections made to the data. In summary, we find notable differences in data quality between modes and analyze where the benefits of offering these new modes outweigh the "costs".

Lawmakers vie to let utilities onto the info highway

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burkhart, L.A.

1994-03-15

Capitol Hill is alive with talk of the information superhighway and the need to amend the antiquated Communications Act of 1936. Electric and gas utilities hope that whatever bill is passed will allow them to provide telecommunications services and take part in the communication revolution. After all, the Clinton Administration's white paper on the issue advocates following a policy that would allow energy utilities to provide telephone services. Rep. Boucher has become a chief advocate of allowing electric utilities to compete in the cable television and telephone industries. Under the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA), electric utility holding companiesmore » whose operations cross state lines are prohibited from offering telecommunications services. Boucher's measure would amend PUHCA by removing those restrictions.« less

Improving Building Energy Simulation Programs Through Diagnostic Testing (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2012-02-01

New test procedure evaluates quality and accuracy of energy analysis tools for the residential building retrofit market. Reducing the energy use of existing homes in the United States offers significant energy-saving opportunities, which can be identified through building simulation software tools that calculate optimal packages of efficiency measures. To improve the accuracy of energy analysis for residential buildings, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Buildings Research team developed the Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes (BESTEST-EX), a method for diagnosing and correcting errors in building energy audit software and calibration procedures. BESTEST-EX consists of building physics and utility billmore » calibration test cases, which software developers can use to compare their tools simulation findings to reference results generated with state-of-the-art simulation tools. Overall, the BESTEST-EX methodology: (1) Tests software predictions of retrofit energy savings in existing homes; (2) Ensures building physics calculations and utility bill calibration procedures perform to a minimum standard; and (3) Quantifies impacts of uncertainties in input audit data and occupant behavior. BESTEST-EX is helping software developers identify and correct bugs in their software, as well as develop and test utility bill calibration procedures.« less

Synapses that Compute Motion.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

direction- - the null direction-yields no response. In 1964, Horace Barlow and Bill Levick , working at the University of California at Berkeley, found...only output of the retina. Since Barlow and Levick used the so-called extracellular recording technique, that is the electrode recording the...two slits, placed close to each other. Barlow and Levick first measured the response of the cell when each bar was turned on and off in isolation

Use of administrative and electronic health record data for development of automated algorithms for childhood diabetes case ascertainment and type classification: the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

PubMed Central

Zhong, Victor W.; Pfaff, Emily R.; Beavers, Daniel P.; Thomas, Joan; Jaacks, Lindsay M.; Bowlby, Deborah A.; Carey, Timothy S.; Lawrence, Jean M.; Dabelea, Dana; Hamman, Richard F.; Pihoker, Catherine; Saydah, Sharon H.; Mayer-Davis, Elizabeth J.

2014-01-01

Background The performance of automated algorithms for childhood diabetes case ascertainment and type classification may differ by demographic characteristics. Objective This study evaluated the potential of administrative and electronic health record (EHR) data from a large academic care delivery system to conduct diabetes case ascertainment in youth according to type, age and race/ethnicity. Subjects 57,767 children aged <20 years as of December 31, 2011 seen at University of North Carolina Health Care System in 2011 were included. Methods Using an initial algorithm including billing data, patient problem lists, laboratory test results and diabetes related medications between July 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011, presumptive cases were identified and validated by chart review. More refined algorithms were evaluated by type (type 1 versus type 2), age (<10 versus ≥10 years) and race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white versus “other”). Sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were calculated and compared. Results The best algorithm for ascertainment of diabetes cases overall was billing data. The best type 1 algorithm was the ratio of the number of type 1 billing codes to the sum of type 1 and type 2 billing codes ≥0.5. A useful algorithm to ascertain type 2 youth with “other” race/ethnicity was identified. Considerable age and racial/ethnic differences were present in type-non-specific and type 2 algorithms. Conclusions Administrative and EHR data may be used to identify cases of childhood diabetes (any type), and to identify type 1 cases. The performance of type 2 case ascertainment algorithms differed substantially by race/ethnicity. PMID:24913103

Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ-6

2009-02-25

House - 02/25/2009 On motion to table the measure Agreed to by recorded vote: 226 - 182, 12 Present (Roll no. 87). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5

2014-03-13

House - 03/13/2014 On motion to table the measure Agreed to by recorded vote: 217 - 173, 10 Present (Roll no. 133). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

USA FREEDOM Act of 2014

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT

2014-07-29

Senate - 11/18/2014 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 58 - 42. Record Vote Number: 282. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ-6

2009-03-05

House - 03/05/2009 On motion to table the measure Agreed to by recorded vote: 222 - 181, 14 Present (Roll no. 105). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A Coordinated Business System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emmett, Marion B.

1980-01-01

Describes a student publications department business system in which students take responsibility for selling advertisements for the newspaper and yearbook, make sure that layouts are satisfactory to customers, keep all records of accounting and billing procedures, and maintain budget supervision of student publications activities. (TJ)

Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Coburn, Tom [R-OK

2013-05-21

Senate - 06/06/2013 Cloture on the motion to proceed to measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 40 - 57. Record Vote Number: 142. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

75 FR 4452 - Agency Information Collection (Certification of Fully Developed Claim) Activity Under OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-27

... Burden: 132 hours. Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 5 minutes. Frequency of Response: On Occasion... McLamb, Program Analyst, Enterprise Records Service. [FR Doc. 2010-1506 Filed 1-26-10; 8:45 am] BILLING...

Bring Jobs Home Act

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI

2012-07-09

Senate - 07/19/2012 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 56 - 42. Record Vote Number: 181. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Expressing support for designation of October 7, 2010, as national "Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day".

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Markey, Betsy [D-CO-4

2010-07-20

House - 10/13/2010 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

32 CFR 268.9 - Discussion of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... customer country unless otherwise stated in the bill. Followup and reporting actions required by this part... central banks. (4) Other institutions (such as corporations, development banks, railways, and utilities... obligors.” (j) Program. “Program” is the law, international treaty, appropriation, or other authority under...

32 CFR 268.9 - Discussion of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... customer country unless otherwise stated in the bill. Followup and reporting actions required by this part... central banks. (4) Other institutions (such as corporations, development banks, railways, and utilities... obligors.” (j) Program. “Program” is the law, international treaty, appropriation, or other authority under...

32 CFR 268.9 - Discussion of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... customer country unless otherwise stated in the bill. Followup and reporting actions required by this part... central banks. (4) Other institutions (such as corporations, development banks, railways, and utilities... obligors.” (j) Program. “Program” is the law, international treaty, appropriation, or other authority under...

32 CFR 268.9 - Discussion of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... customer country unless otherwise stated in the bill. Followup and reporting actions required by this part... central banks. (4) Other institutions (such as corporations, development banks, railways, and utilities... obligors.” (j) Program. “Program” is the law, international treaty, appropriation, or other authority under...

Saving Millions without Spending a Dime.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raman, Elizabeth

2003-01-01

Describes how the University of Hawaii at Hilo is using the $2.7 million it saved on utility bills during the past 5 years to repay campus energy improvements financed, installed, and maintained by an energy services company; the method is called energy savings performance contracting. (EV)

Energy Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaddy, Carol T., Ed.; Wells, Kathy, Ed.

This collection of reprints offers practical solutions, not readily available elsewhere, to everyday energy problems, such as high utility bills, insulating windows, getting more gas mileage, or buying a more efficient washer or refrigerator. The Arkansas Energy Office provides a weekly column of energy news and conservation tips to newspapers,…

Roofing: Don't Let What's Over Head Kill Your Bottom Line.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shannon, James W., Jr.

1983-01-01

A Colorado school district employs a professional consulting firm to give an unbiased opinion on the district's roofing needs. Built-up, single-ply, and modified asphalt roofing systems have all been utilized. Preventive maintenance keeps roofing bills to a minimum. (MLF)

Veterans' Mental Health in Higher Education Settings: Services and Clinician Education Needs.

PubMed

Niv, Noosha; Bennett, Lauren

2017-06-01

Utilization of the GI Bill and attendance at higher education institutions among student veterans have significantly increased since passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Campus counseling centers should be prepared to meet the mental health needs of student veterans. This study identified the mental health resources and services that colleges provide student veterans and the education needs of clinical staff on how to serve student veterans. Directors of mental health services from 80 California colleges completed a semistructured phone interview. Few schools track the number, demographic characteristics, or presenting needs of student veterans who utilize campus mental health services or offer priority access or special mental health services for veterans. Directors wanted centers to receive education for an average of 5.8 veteran-related mental health topics and preferred workshops and lectures to handouts and online training. Significant training needs exist among clinical staff of campus mental health services to meet the needs of student veterans.

Timing of Clinical Billing Reimbursement for a Local Health Department.

PubMed

McCullough, J Mac

2016-01-01

A major responsibility of a local health department (LHD) is to assure public health service availability throughout its jurisdiction. Many LHDs face expanded service needs and declining budgets, making billing for services an increasingly important strategy for sustaining public health service provision. Yet, little practice-based data exist to guide practitioners on what to expect financially, especially regarding timing of reimbursement receipt. This study provides results from one LHD on the lag from service delivery to reimbursement receipt. Reimbursement records for all transactions at Maricopa County Department of Public Health immunization clinics from January 2013 through June 2014 were compiled and analyzed to determine the duration between service and reimbursement. Outcomes included daily and cumulative revenues received. Time to reimbursement for Medicaid and private payers was also compared. Reimbursement for immunization services was received a median of 68 days after service. Payments were sometimes taken back by payers through credit transactions that occurred a median of 333 days from service. No differences in time to reimbursement between Medicaid and private payers were found. Billing represents an important financial opportunity for LHDs to continue to sustainably assure population health. Yet, the lag from service provision to reimbursement may complicate budgeting, especially in initial years of new billing activities. Special consideration may be necessary to establish flexibility in the budget-setting processes for services with clinical billing revenues, because funds for services delivered in one budget period may not be received in the same period. LHDs may also benefit from exploring strategies used by other delivery organizations to streamline billing processes.

Joint resolution proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT

2011-03-31

Senate - 12/14/2011 Failed of passage in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 47 - 53. Record Vote Number: 229. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Failed SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Joint resolution proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Udall, Mark [D-CO

2011-08-02

Senate - 12/14/2011 Failed of passage in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 21 - 79. Record Vote Number: 228. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Failed SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Thinking inside the (lock)box: using banking technology to improve the revenue cycle.

PubMed

D'Eramo, Michael; Umbreit, Lynda

2005-08-01

An integrated, image-based lockbox solution has allowed Columbus, Ohio-based MaternOhio to automate payment posting, reconcilement, and billing; store check and remittance images electronically; and automatically update its in-house patient accounting system and medical records.

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21

2013-11-20

01/17/2014 Became Public Law No: 113-76. (TXT | PDF) (All Actions) Notes: Explanatory material appears in the Congressional Record for 1/15/2014 starting on page H475. Tracker: This bill has the status Became LawHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI

2012-03-22

Senate - 04/16/2012 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 45. Record Vote Number: 65. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

24 CFR 2002.13 - Charges for interest and for unsuccessful searches; utilization of Debt Collection Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... charged in a timely fashion (i.e., within 30 days of the date of the billing), HUD may, under the authority of the Debt Collection Act and part 17, subpart C of this title, use consumer reporting agencies...

Alternative Fuels Data Center

Science.gov Websites

PG&E Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) customers are eligible for a $10,000 rebate for the , bring the Customer Information Form and a copy of a recent PG&E utility bill to a participating dealership. For more information, visit PG&E

Coding for urologic office procedures.

PubMed

Dowling, Robert A; Painter, Mark

2013-11-01

This article summarizes current best practices for documenting, coding, and billing common office-based urologic procedures. Topics covered include general principles, basic and advanced urologic coding, creation of medical records that support compliant coding practices, bundled codes and unbundling, global periods, modifiers for procedure codes, when to bill for evaluation and management services during the same visit, coding for supplies, and laboratory and radiology procedures pertinent to urology practice. Detailed information is included for the most common urology office procedures, and suggested resources and references are provided. This information is of value to physicians, office managers, and their coding staff. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical benchmarking for the office practitioner enabled by the online health record

PubMed Central

Ricciardi, TN; Masarie, FE; Landholt, T; Middleton, B

2000-01-01

Payer organizations, regulatory entities, and delivery networks are placing increasing pressure on physicians to report aggregate information about their patients and practice of medicine. Historically, clinicians have been ill-equipped to respond to these pressures when their practices have relied upon payer records for clinical information management. Key Industry Drivers: Physicians need specific information from their practices for the purposes of contract management, preventive care, office productivity, and utilization reviews. Value Statement: Clinical data captured at the point of care can support reporting requirements, and supplement or replace laboriously-collected data derived from billing and other administrative systems. Information from the Online Health Record can empower the individual physician to assess what is going on in their practice of medicine, as opposed to being "profiled" by an external entity. We created a secure web-based system that provides access to a clinical data mart, to allow online benchmarking for the individual or office practitioner. Providers used a web-enabled documentation system to document the clinical facts of the encounter. A nightly set of routines extracts data from the online chart into the clinical data mart built in a relational database. The system uses a clinical vocabulary server to map provider-entered strings to normalized clinical concepts. The system loads chart data into a dimensional data model, to simplify data representation and ensure fast query performance. Providers can access their own profiles from a secure web browser. PMID:11080030

Detection and Localization of Money Bills Concealed Behind Wooden Walls Using Compton Scattering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wart, Jason A. van; Hussein, Esam M.A.; Waller, Edward J

2005-05-15

This work presents a portable device for detecting visually obscured contraband money bills that may be hidden within conventional household walls for the purpose of avoiding confiscation. The device utilizes the Compton backscattering of photons emitted from a collimated {sup 241}Am source. The scattered photons are detected with a thin NaI(Tl) detector, either over a wide field of view for surface scanning of the wall or within a confined view field for depth scanning. The design of the device was optimized for best density contrast and highest count rate for a given source activity. It was shown that the minimummore » detectable amount of contraband, with >95% confidence level, is 86 paper bills. The contraband was detectable when hidden in household walls made of gyprock or wooden paneling, even when masked by higher density materials such as metallic piping. The device's capability exceeded those of commercially available density-based portable contraband detectors.« less

Large Eddy Simulation of Engineering Flows: A Bill Reynolds Legacy.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moin, Parviz

2004-11-01

The term, Large eddy simulation, LES, was coined by Bill Reynolds, thirty years ago when he and his colleagues pioneered the introduction of LES in the engineering community. Bill's legacy in LES features his insistence on having a proper mathematical definition of the large scale field independent of the numerical method used, and his vision for using numerical simulation output as data for research in turbulence physics and modeling, just as one would think of using experimental data. However, as an engineer, Bill was pre-dominantly interested in the predictive capability of computational fluid dynamics and in particular LES. In this talk I will present the state of the art in large eddy simulation of complex engineering flows. Most of this technology has been developed in the Department of Energy's ASCI Program at Stanford which was led by Bill in the last years of his distinguished career. At the core of this technology is a fully implicit non-dissipative LES code which uses unstructured grids with arbitrary elements. A hybrid Eulerian/ Largangian approach is used for multi-phase flows, and chemical reactions are introduced through dynamic equations for mixture fraction and reaction progress variable in conjunction with flamelet tables. The predictive capability of LES is demonstrated in several validation studies in flows with complex physics and complex geometry including flow in the combustor of a modern aircraft engine. LES in such a complex application is only possible through efficient utilization of modern parallel super-computers which was recognized and emphasized by Bill from the beginning. The presentation will include a brief mention of computer science efforts for efficient implementation of LES.

Health Care Costs for Adults With Congenital Heart Disease in the United States 2002 to 2012.

PubMed

Briston, David A; Bradley, Elisa A; Sabanayagam, Aarthi; Zaidi, Ali N

2016-08-15

More adults than children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are alive today. Few studies have evaluated adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) health care utilization in the United States. Data from the National Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2012, using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes for moderate and complex CHD were analyzed. Hospital discharges, total billed and reimbursed amounts, length of stay, and gender/age disparities were evaluated. There was an increase in CHD discharges (moderate CHD: 4,742 vs 6,545; severe CHD: 807 vs 1,115) and total billed and reimbursed dollar amounts across all CHD (billed: $2.7 vs $7.0 billion, 155% increase; reimbursed: $1.3 vs $2.3 billion, 99% increase) and in the ACHD subgroup (billed: $543 million vs $1.5 billion, 178% increase; reimbursed: $221 vs $433 million, 95% increase). Women comprised more discharges in 2002 but not in 2012 (men:women, 2002: 6,503 vs 7,805; 2012: 7,715 vs 7,200, p = 0.39). Gender-based billed amounts followed similar trends (2002: $263 vs $280 million; 2012: $845 vs $662 million, p = 0.006) as did reimbursements (2002: $108 vs $114 million; 2012: $243 vs $190 million, p = 0.008). All age subgroups demonstrated increased health care expenditures, including the >44 versus 18- to 44-year-old age subgroup (billed: $618 vs $347 million, p <0.001; reimbursed: $136 vs $75 million, p <0.001). Our results reveal increased ACHD billed and reimbursed amounts and hospital discharges with a shift in gender-based ACHD hospitalizations: men now account for more hospitalizations in the United States. In conclusion, increased health care expenditure in older patients with ACHD is likely to increase further as health care system use and costs continue to grow. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying individuals with physician-diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care electronic medical records: a retrospective chart abstraction study.

PubMed

Lee, Theresa M; Tu, Karen; Wing, Laura L; Gershon, Andrea S

2017-05-15

Little is known about using electronic medical records to identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to improve quality of care. Our objective was to develop electronic medical record algorithms that can accurately identify patients with obstructive pulmonary disease. A retrospective chart abstraction study was conducted on data from the Electronic Medical Record Administrative data Linked Database (EMRALD ® ) housed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. Abstracted charts provided the reference standard based on available physician-diagnoses, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-specific medications, smoking history and pulmonary function testing. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease electronic medical record algorithms using combinations of terminology in the cumulative patient profile (CPP; problem list/past medical history), physician billing codes (chronic bronchitis/emphysema/other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and prescriptions, were tested against the reference standard. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive/negative predictive values (PPV/NPV) were calculated. There were 364 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease identified in a 5889 randomly sampled cohort aged ≥ 35 years (prevalence = 6.2%). The electronic medical record algorithm consisting of ≥ 3 physician billing codes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease per year; documentation in the CPP; tiotropium prescription; or ipratropium (or its formulations) prescription and a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease billing code had sensitivity of 76.9% (95% CI:72.2-81.2), specificity of 99.7% (99.5-99.8), PPV of 93.6% (90.3-96.1), and NPV of 98.5% (98.1-98.8). Electronic medical record algorithms can accurately identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care records. They can be used to enable further studies in practice patterns and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management in primary care. NOVEL ALGORITHM SEARCH TECHNIQUE: Researchers develop an algorithm that can accurately search through electronic health records to find patients with chronic lung disease. Mining population-wide data for information on patients diagnosed and treated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care could help inform future healthcare and spending practices. Theresa Lee at the University of Toronto, Canada, and colleagues used an algorithm to search electronic medical records and identify patients with COPD from doctors' notes, prescriptions and symptom histories. They carefully adjusted the algorithm to improve sensitivity and predictive value by adding details such as specific medications, physician codes related to COPD, and different combinations of terminology in doctors' notes. The team accurately identified 364 patients with COPD in a randomly-selected cohort of 5889 people. Their results suggest opportunities for broader, informative studies of COPD in wider populations.

Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2014

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH

2014-04-28

Senate - 05/12/2014 Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the measure (Record Vote No. 142) entered in Senate. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

76 FR 18145 - Privacy Act of 1974; New System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-01

... to include final determinations; billing information to include payment delinquencies; case notes... delinquencies; and case notes. Information collected includes the individual's name, address, telephone number... outside USDA, and so have some impact on privacy of individuals, they are either necessary for carrying...

Energy Information Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaddy, Carol T., Ed.; Wells, Kathy, Ed.

This document was published with the small energy user in mind--the student writing a term paper, the homemaker seeking tips on cutting utility bills, the elderly, farmers, small business owners, factory managers, and Arkansans in all walks of life. Although the volume contains a significant selection of books, magazines, films, and organizations…

NEW CONCEPTS IN TEACHER UTILIZATION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ESSEX, MARTIN

THE PRESENT CONCERN WITH UPGRADING OF THE DISADVANTAGED IS LISTED AS FOURTH IN A SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL REVOLUTIONS, THE OTHERS BEING (1) HORACE MANN'S COMMON SCHOOL, (2) THE KALAMAZOO DECISION, OPENING SECONDARY EDUCATION TO THE MASSES, AND (3) THE G.I. BILL BREAKTHROUGH IN HIGHER EDUCATION AFTER WORLD WAR II. THE PRESENT SITUATION IS…

The Road to Culturally Relevant Science: Exploring How Teachers Navigate Change in Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Carla C.

2011-01-01

In this study, two middle-school teachers who participated in a professional development program utilizing the transformative professional development (TPD) model are followed as they embarked upon becoming culturally relevant science teachers of Hispanic students. Using Ladson-Billings (1994) theory of culturally relevant pedagogy, teacher…

49 CFR 1312.4 - Filing of tariffs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... of pages transmitted; (iii) The filing fee enclosed, the account number to be billed, or the credit card to be charged; (iv) The transmittal number if the filer utilizes transmittal numbers; and (v) If the filing fee is charged to a credit card, the credit card number and expiration date, and an...

Evaluating Community College Personnel: A Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deegan, William L.; And Others

A statewide survey was conducted of local evaluation policies, procedures, and problems of implementing evaluation programs on the campuses of California community colleges. The following areas were studied: (1) the process of development of the evaluation program; (2) procedures utilized in the first year of implementing Senate Bill 696…

77 FR 27777 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-11

... include the bundling of separately billed drugs, clinical laboratory tests, and other items ``to maximum... the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be... Quality Incentive Program (QIP); Use: The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement, and Modernization Act of...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Dollars saved through energy efficiency can directly impact your bottom line. Whether you are planning for a major renovation or upgrading individual pieces of building equipment, these improvements can help reduce operating costs, save on utility bills, and boost profits. This fact sheet provides guidelines for SBA lenders to understand the value of financing energy efficiency investments.

49 CFR 1312.4 - Filing of tariffs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... of pages transmitted; (iii) The filing fee enclosed, the account number to be billed, or the credit card to be charged; (iv) The transmittal number if the filer utilizes transmittal numbers; and (v) If the filing fee is charged to a credit card, the credit card number and expiration date, and an...

49 CFR 1312.4 - Filing of tariffs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... of pages transmitted; (iii) The filing fee enclosed, the account number to be billed, or the credit card to be charged; (iv) The transmittal number if the filer utilizes transmittal numbers; and (v) If the filing fee is charged to a credit card, the credit card number and expiration date, and an...

49 CFR 1312.4 - Filing of tariffs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... of pages transmitted; (iii) The filing fee enclosed, the account number to be billed, or the credit card to be charged; (iv) The transmittal number if the filer utilizes transmittal numbers; and (v) If the filing fee is charged to a credit card, the credit card number and expiration date, and an...

49 CFR 1312.4 - Filing of tariffs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... of pages transmitted; (iii) The filing fee enclosed, the account number to be billed, or the credit card to be charged; (iv) The transmittal number if the filer utilizes transmittal numbers; and (v) If the filing fee is charged to a credit card, the credit card number and expiration date, and an...

77 FR 2542 - Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-18

...; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and... set-aside capacity is available; (c) Rates associated with technical and studio costs; (d) If... billing and collection services to leased access programmers unless they can demonstrate the existence of...

17 CFR 256.01-10 - Billing procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... accounts prescribed by the regulatory authorities to which it is subject. Each month a statement shall be rendered to the associate company containing a summary of the accounts by work order by which the charges...) UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR MUTUAL SERVICE COMPANIES AND SUBSIDIARY SERVICE COMPANIES, PUBLIC UTILITY...

We got a new digital electric meter. Our usage went up 123%. Our Bill went up 65%

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Honebein, Peter C.

2010-03-15

There is no question that smart meters are a benefit to utilities, in terms of operational efficiency. But headlines like this one are frightening. They suggest a significant misunderstanding of the technology, marketing, and customer experience surrounding this worthwhile innovation. (author)

A La Buena: Living Better. Bilingual Adult Proficiency Level Materials for Everyday Living.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Philip D., Jr.; And Others

These bilingual English/Spanish Adult Proficiency Materials comprise three adult education courses in these areas: consumer education, health, and nutrition. Part 1, Consumer Education, covers these topics: money management, credit, frauds, consumer complaints, housing, utility bills, saving energy, banking, insurance (car, health, life), buying a…

[Information system in the cardio polyclinic].

PubMed

Mihajlović, Marina; Zivković, Marija

2014-03-01

The cardiologic polyclinic information system ensures effective management of business processes in the polyclinic. Medical nurse provides health care to a patient with the support of the information system, which enables recording the patient's identity, admission, participation fee charges, billing for the services provided, patients' orders for noninvasive diagnostic methods, and implementation of diagnostic methods. The nurse enters patient's personal information at every work station, updates the existing records, and has an opportunity to add notes and insights to the results of patient's diagnostic tests and doctors' opinions for patients in the polyclinic. Additionally, the nurse records the services and supplies provided, and these entries are used for billing and service charges. This information is accessible at every work station to authorized persons exclusively. The implementation of the information system enables medical nurses working at the reception desk and in nurses' consulting room to record administrative data and data related to diagnostic analysis at the moment and at the place they happen. A personal password is required to access these data. In this way, the patient admission recording is facilitated, and in case the patient needs to be contacted, communication with him/her is improved, and finally, writing reports and data analysis are simplified. Apart from the advantages, there also are problems such as inadequate staff education and insufficient reliability of the information infrastructure, which if overloaded, can slow down the system, and this is time consuming for both health workers and patients.

Aircraft Survivability. Fall 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

test the Mi-24 Hind, UH - 60 , and AH-64 Longbow rotorcraft. Bill also sat on the source selection boards for the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft...medical evacuation (MEDEVAC, UH -60As and Air Force HH- 60s ), RW Attack (Army AH-64s and Marine AH-1s), RW Observation (Army OH-58s), and RW Utility... UH - 60s and UH -1s). Only a very small percentage of the incidents involved fixed wing aircraft with most of those involving C-130 variants that

Chronic myelogenous leukemia in eastern Pennsylvania: an assessment of registry reporting.

PubMed

Mertz, Kristen J; Buchanich, Jeanine M; Washington, Terri L; Irvin-Barnwell, Elizabeth A; Woytowitz, Donald V; Smith, Roy E

2015-01-01

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) has been reportable to the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry (PCR) since the 1980s, but the completeness of reporting is unknown. This study assessed CML reporting in eastern Pennsylvania where a cluster of another myeloproliferative neoplasm was previously identified. Cases were identified from 2 sources: 1) PCR case reports for residents of Carbon, Luzerne, or Schuylkill County with International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, Third Edition (ICD-O-3) codes 9875 (CML, BCR-ABL+), 9863 (CML, NOS), and 9860 (myeloid leukemia) and date of diagnosis 2001-2009, and 2) review of billing records at hematology practices. Participants were interviewed and their medical records were reviewed by board-certified hematologists. PCR reports included 99 cases coded 9875 or 9863 and 9 cases coded 9860; 2 additional cases were identified by review of billing records. Of the 110 identified cases, 93 were mailed consent forms, 23 consented, and 12 medical records were reviewed. Hematologists confirmed 11 of 12 reviewed cases as CML cases; all 11 confirmed cases were BCR/ABL positive, but only 1 was coded as positive (code 9875). Very few unreported CML cases were identified, suggesting relatively complete reporting to the PCR. Cases reviewed were accurately diagnosed, but ICD-0-3 coding often did not reflect BCR-ABL-positive tests. Cancer registry abstracters should look for these test results and code accordingly.

Implementing a School-Located Vaccination Program in Denver Public Schools.

PubMed

Shlay, Judith C; Rodgers, Sarah; Lyons, Jean; Romero, Scott; Vogt, Tara M; McCormick, Emily V

2015-08-01

School-located vaccination (SLV) offers an opportunity to deliver vaccines to students, particularly those without a primary care provider. This SLV program offered 2 clinics at each of 20 elementary schools (influenza vaccine) and 3 clinics at each of 7 middle/preschool-eighth-grade schools (adolescent platform plus catch-up vaccines) during the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years. Established programmatic processes for immunization delivery in an outreach setting were used. Billing and vaccine inventory management processes were developed. Vaccines from the federal Vaccines for Children program were used for eligible students. Third-party payers were billed for insured students; parents were not billed for services. The proportion of enrolled students who received at least 1 dose of vaccine increased from year 1 to year 2 (elementary: 28% to 31%; middle: 12% to 19%). Issues identified and addressed included program planning with partners, development and implementation of billing processes, development of a solution to adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act requirements, development and utilization of an easy-to-comprehend consent form, and implementation of standard work procedures. This SLV program offered an alternative approach for providing vaccinations to students outside of the primary care setting. To be successful, ongoing partnerships are needed. © 2015, American School Health Association.

Electricity Bill Savings from Residential Photovoltaic Systems: Sensitivities to Changes in Future Electricity Market Conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Darghouth, Naim; Barbose, Galen; Wiser, Ryan

2013-01-09

Customer-sited photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States are often compensated at the customer’s underlying retail electricity rate through net metering. Calculations of the customer economics of PV, meanwhile, often assume that retail rate structures and PV compensation mechanisms will not change and that retail electricity prices will increase (or remain constant) over time, thereby also increasing (or keeping constant) the value of bill savings from PV. Given the multitude of potential changes to retail rates and PV compensation mechanisms in the future, however, understanding how such changes might impact the value of bill savings from PV is critical formore » policymakers, regulators, utilities, the solar industry, and potential PV owners, i.e., any stakeholder interested in understanding uncertainties in and potential changes to the long-term customer economics of PV. This scoping study investigates the impact of, and interactions among, three key sources of uncertainty in the future value of bill savings from customer-sited PV, focusing in particular on residential customers. These three sources of uncertainty are: changes to electricity market conditions that would affect retail electricity prices, changes to the types of retail rate structures available to residential customers with PV, and shifts away from standard net-metering toward other compensation mechanisms for residential PV.« less

12 CFR 208.61 - Bank security procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... becoming a member of the Federal Reserve System, a member bank's board of directors shall designate a... bills, or chemical and electronic devices; and retaining a record of any robbery, burglary, or larceny...; (iv) An alarm system or other appropriate device for promptly notifying the nearest responsible law...

12 CFR 208.61 - Bank security procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... becoming a member of the Federal Reserve System, a member bank's board of directors shall designate a... bills, or chemical and electronic devices; and retaining a record of any robbery, burglary, or larceny...; (iv) An alarm system or other appropriate device for promptly notifying the nearest responsible law...

12 CFR 208.61 - Bank security procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... becoming a member of the Federal Reserve System, a member bank's board of directors shall designate a... bills, or chemical and electronic devices; and retaining a record of any robbery, burglary, or larceny...; (iv) An alarm system or other appropriate device for promptly notifying the nearest responsible law...

47 CFR 64.4003 - Notification obligations of IXCs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... to an IXC, the IXC shall provide to a LEC the customer account information described in this section... account information to a LEC to the extent that such additional information is necessary for billing... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS Customer Account Record Exchange Requirements...

Removal Clarification Act of 2010

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4

2010-05-12

Senate - 12/18/2010 Cloture on the motion to agree to House amendment to Senate amendment numbered 3 not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 41. Record Vote Number: 278. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Resolving DifferencesHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Minimum Wage Fairness Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA

2014-04-08

Senate - 04/30/2014 Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to the measure (Record Vote No. 117) entered in Senate. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A joint resolution relating to the disapproval of obligations under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA

2009-01-13

Senate - 01/15/2009 Failed of passage in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 42 - 52. Record Vote Number: 5. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Failed SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution designating October 4, 2012, as "Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day".

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA

2012-09-22

Senate - 09/22/2012 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Committee on Armed Services.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2012-12-31

Senate - 01/01/2013 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution designating October 3, 2013, as "Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day".

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA

2013-09-25

Senate - 09/25/2013 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Task Force on Confidentiality: A Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Roger

1978-01-01

After discussing opening the admission file, challenging the contents, and retention of records the NACAC Task Force recommends that the House of Representatives Bill 9982 be discarded. The more institutions are allowed to consider responsible information, responsibly gathered within reasonable limits, the better they will serve individuals and…

Congratulating the six-time Defending Mid-American Conference Champion Bowling Green State University women's basketball team on another outstanding and record-setting season.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Latta, Robert E. [R-OH-5

2010-03-25

House - 04/30/2010 Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution expressing support for designation of October 7, 2010, as "Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day".

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA

2010-07-22

Senate - 09/21/2010 Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

37 CFR 251.38 - Billing and commitment to standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... standards. 251.38 Section 251.38 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights COPYRIGHT OFFICE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS... performed during each hour or day charged. (d) Except for support services provided by the Library of Congress, arbitrators shall perform their own work, including research, analysis of the record, and...

37 CFR 251.38 - Billing and commitment to standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... standards. 251.38 Section 251.38 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights COPYRIGHT OFFICE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS... performed during each hour or day charged. (d) Except for support services provided by the Library of Congress, arbitrators shall perform their own work, including research, analysis of the record, and...

Superfund reauthorization. Hearings before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation, and Tourism of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Ninety-Eighth Congress, Second Session on H. R. 4813 and H. R. 4915, February 28, March 1, 8, and 15, 1984

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1984-01-01

Four days of hearings on two bills (H.R. 4813 and H.R. 4915) designed to provide cleanup funds for hazardous waste sites cover the testimony of 42 witnesses, including that of Environmental Protection Agency Director Ruckelshaus and representatives of the US Chamber of Commerce, government agencies, environmental and other interest groups, the medical profession, the chemical and mining industries, and waste treatment agencies and organizations. The three-year-old Superfund has only cleaned up a few sites, and EPA predicts that the $1.6 billion fund can handle only 170 of the 546 priority sites. The reauthorizing bills increase funding, set cleanup standards, increasemore » enforcement provisions, and encourage a state and federal partnership in the cleanup process. Material submitted for the record follows the text of the two bills and the testimony.« less

The Relative Humidity of the Atmosphere in the Encasements Containing the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution (Pages 1 and 4), and the Bill of Rights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, James W.; Burkett, Cecil G.; Levine, Joel S.

2002-01-01

In 1951, the four pages of the US Constitution, the Letter of Transmittal, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence, collectively called the 'Charters of Freedom,' were hermetically sealed individually in glass encasements. The atmosphere in the encasements consisted of a mixture of helium with water vapor at a relative humidity between 25 and 35% at room temperature. In 1998, Margaret Kelly of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), contacted Dr. Joel S. Levine at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to request assistance in determining the chemical composition of the atmosphere inside the encasements. Several different Langley learns were assembled to address that request. each using a different measurement technique. This report describes the method and results of one team's relative humidity measurements on encasements containing pages 1 and 4 of the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence performed at NARA, College Park. Maryland, on July 23, 2001.

An electrophysiological investigation of the receptor apparatus of the duck's bill

PubMed Central

Gregory, J. E.

1973-01-01

1. The properties of receptors in the duck's bill have been studied by recording from units isolated by dissecting fine filaments from the maxillary and ophthalmic nerves. 2. The units studied were divisible into three groups, phasic mechanoreceptors responsive to vibration, thermoreceptive units, and high threshold mechanoreceptors. 3. Vibration-sensitive mechanoreceptors (113 units) had small receptive fields, showed a rapidly adapting discharge to mechanical stimulation of the bill, were sensitive to vibratory but not to thermal stimuli and showed no background discharge. 4. Temperature receptors (twenty-one units) were insensitive to mechanical stimulation and showed a temperature-dependent background discharge. Sudden cooling produced a transient increase in discharge frequency. 5. High threshold mechanosensitive units (eight units) gave a slowly adapting discharge to strong mechanical stimulation and were insensitive to vibratory and thermal stimulation. 6. It is concluded that the low-threshold, vibration-sensitive responses come from Herbst corpuscles. No specific function can yet be assigned to the Grandry corpuscles. PMID:4689962

Minnesota Department of Human Services audit of medication therapy management programs.

PubMed

Smith, Stephanie; Cell, Penny; Anderson, Lowell; Larson, Tom

2013-01-01

To inform medication therapy management (MTM) providers of findings of the Minnesota Department of Human Services review of claims submitted to Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) for patients receiving MTM services and to discuss the impact of the audit on widespread MTM services and future audits. A retrospective review was completed on MTM claims submitted to MHCP from 2008 to 2010. The auditor verified that the Current Procedural Terminology codes billed matched the actual number of medications, conditions, and drug therapy problems assessed during an encounter. 190 claims were reviewed for 57 distinct pharmacies that billed for MTM services from 2008 to 2010, representing 4.5% of all claims submitted. The auditor reported that generally, the documentation within the electronic medical record had the least "up-coding" of all documentation systems. A total of 18 claims were coded at a higher level than appropriate, but only 10 notices were sent out to recover money because the others did not meet the minimum $50 threshold. The auditor expressed concerns that a number of claims billed at the highest complexity level were only 15 minutes long. Providers will need to be cautious of the conditions that they bill as complex and of how they define drug therapy problems. Everything for which is being billed must be clearly assessed or rationalized in the documentation note. The auditor expressed that overall, documentation was well done; however, many MTM providers are now asking how to internally prepare for future audits.

State formulating lifeline program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1978-09-01

The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) of New Jersey is formulating a lifeline program which would provide low-income and elderly customers with reduced utility rates. It is estimated that 30% of the households in New Jersey will qualify for the program. While the legislation calls for the lowest effective rate of any customer class, each utility would have its own lifeline program because of differing rates among utility companies. Eligibility requirements would be applied statewide. The utilities will fund the new program by restructuring the existing rates for regular customers. In which case lifeline recipients' rate would decrease while regularmore » customers' bills would increase. Eventually, the BPU expects to fund about 10% of the senior citizens' portion of the program with the state's casino gambling revenues.« less

Changing Utilization of Noninvasive Diagnostic Imaging Over 2 Decades: An Examination Family-Focused Analysis of Medicare Claims Using the Neiman Imaging Types of Service Categorization System.

PubMed

Rosman, David A; Duszak, Richard; Wang, Wenyi; Hughes, Danny R; Rosenkrantz, Andrew B

2018-02-01

The objective of our study was to use a new modality and body region categorization system to assess changing utilization of noninvasive diagnostic imaging in the Medicare fee-for-service population over a recent 20-year period (1994-2013). All Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule services billed between 1994 and 2013 were identified using Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary master files. Billed codes for diagnostic imaging were classified using the Neiman Imaging Types of Service (NITOS) coding system by both modality and body region. Utilization rates per 1000 beneficiaries were calculated for families of services. Among all diagnostic imaging modalities, growth was greatest for MRI (+312%) and CT (+151%) and was lower for ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and radiography and fluoroscopy (range, +1% to +31%). Among body regions, service growth was greatest for brain (+126%) and spine (+74%) imaging; showed milder growth (range, +18% to +67%) for imaging of the head and neck, breast, abdomen and pelvis, and extremity; and showed slight declines (range, -2% to -7%) for cardiac and chest imaging overall. The following specific imaging service families showed massive (> +100%) growth: cardiac CT, cardiac MRI, and breast MRI. NITOS categorization permits identification of temporal shifts in noninvasive diagnostic imaging by specific modality- and region-focused families, providing a granular understanding and reproducible analysis of global changes in imaging overall. Service family-level perspectives may help inform ongoing policy efforts to optimize imaging utilization and appropriateness.

Energy Evaluation of a New Construction Pilot Community: Fresno, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burdick, A.; Poerschke, A.; Rapport, A.

2014-06-01

A new construction pilot community was constructed by builder-partner Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes (WCHH) based on a single occupied test house that was designed to achieve greater than 30% energy savings with respect to the House Simulation Protocols (Hendron, Robert; Engebrecht, Cheryn (2010). Building America House Simulation Protocols. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory). Builders face several key problems when implementing a whole-house systems integrated measures package (SIMP) from a single test house into multiple houses. Although a technical solution already may have been evaluated and validated in an individual test house, the potential exists for constructability failures at the communitymore » scale. This report addresses factors of implementation and scalability at the community scale and proposes methodologies by which community-scale energy evaluations can be performed based on results at the occupied test house level. Research focused on the builder and trade implementation of a SIMP and the actual utility usage in the houses at the community scale of production. Five occupants participated in this community-scale research by providing utility bills and information on occupancy and miscellaneous gas and electric appliance use for their houses. IBACOS used these utility data and background information to analyze the actual energy performance of the houses. Verification with measured data is an important component in predictive energy modeling. The actual utility bill readings were compared to projected energy consumption using BEopt with actual weather and thermostat set points for normalization.« less

Building America Case Study: Low-Cost Evaluation of Energy Savings at the Community Scale, Fresno, California (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2014-10-01

A new construction pilot community was constructed by builder-partner Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes (WCHH) based on a single occupied test house that was designed to achieve greater than 30% energy savings with respect to the House Simulation Protocols (Hendron, Robert; Engebrecht, Cheryn (2010). Building America House Simulation Protocols. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory.). Builders face several key problems when implementing a whole-house systems integrated measures package (SIMP) from a single test house into multiple houses. Although a technical solution already may have been evaluated and validated in an individual test house, the potential exists for constructability failures at the communitymore » scale. This report addresses factors of implementation and scalability at the community scale and proposes methodologies by which community-scale energy evaluations can be performed based on results at the occupied test house level. Research focused on the builder and trade implementation of a SIMP and the actual utility usage in the houses at the community scale of production. Five occupants participated in this community-scale research by providing utility bills and information on occupancy and miscellaneous gas and electric appliance use for their houses. IBACOS used these utility data and background information to analyze the actual energy performance of the houses. Verification with measured data is an important component in predictive energy modeling. The actual utility bill readings were compared to projected energy consumption using BEopt with actual weather and thermostat set points for normalization.« less

Anesthesia Recordkeeping: Accuracy of Recall with Computerized and Manual Entry Recordkeeping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Thomas Corey

2011-01-01

Introduction: Anesthesia information management systems are rapidly gaining widespread acceptance. Aggressively promoted as an improvement to manual-entry recordkeeping systems in the areas of accuracy, quality improvement, billing and vigilance, these systems record all patient vital signs and parameters, providing a legible hard copy and…

78 FR 57807 - Aged Beneficiary Designation Forms

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-20

... received by the TSP record- keeper not more than one year after date of the participant's signature. DATES... after the date of the participant's signature on the form. Regulatory Flexibility Act I certify that... the participant's signature. * * * * * [FR Doc. 2013-22894 Filed 9-19-13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6760...

American Family Economic Protection Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Mikulski, Barbara A. [D-MD

2013-02-26

Senate - 02/28/2013 Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to the measure (Record Vote No. 27) entered in Senate. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to provide for expedited Senate consideration of certain nominations subject to advice and consent.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY

2011-03-30

Senate - 06/29/2011 Resolution agreed to in Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay. 89 - 8. Record Vote Number: 103. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

32 CFR 516.35 - Preparation of claims for litigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Legal Proceedings Initiated by the United States Medical Care and... applicable state law. (See Fed. R. Civ. P. 11) (2) Copies of all medical records and bills reflecting the... for litigation should briefly summarize the facts giving rise to the claim and the collection actions...

A Bridge to One America: The Civil Rights Performance of the Clinton Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraus, Rebecca S.; Chambers, David R.

This report assesses the civil rights record of Bill Clinton's presidential administration, examining progress made in federal civil rights law enforcement and policy development. Four sections include: (1) "Introduction: The Clinton Presidency in Perspective" (the civil rights landscape and continuing relevance of the fight for civil…

15 CFR 758.5 - Conformity of documents and unloading of items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...., the SED or AES record, bill of lading or air waybill) must be consistent with the license. (c... and Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) or AES electronic equivalent. (2) Optional ports of unloading... ultimate destination or are included on the BIS license and SED or AES electronic equivalent. (ii...

15 CFR 758.5 - Conformity of documents and unloading of items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...., the SED or AES record, bill of lading or air waybill) must be consistent with the license. (c... and Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) or AES electronic equivalent. (2) Optional ports of unloading... ultimate destination or are included on the BIS license and SED or AES electronic equivalent. (ii...

Selected Characteristics of Beginning Science and Mathematics Teachers in Georgia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Jack Caldwell

One hundred fifty-seven first year science and mathematics teachers were randomly selected from the population of beginning teachers in Georgia for the school years 1965-66 and 1966-67. Instruments used for data collection were the "Classroom Observation Record (COR),""Pupil Observation Survey (POSR),""Bills Index of…

Reduction of accounts receivable through total quality management.

PubMed

LaFleur, N

1994-01-01

On October 1, 1990, The Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I., converted to a new computer system for patient accounting applications and on-line registration functions. The new system automated the hospital's patient accounting, registration, and medical records functions and interfaced registration with patient accounts for billing purposes.

44 CFR 5.46 - Fee schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... records responsive to a FOIA request and operator/programmer salary apportionable to the search. FEMA may... are determined to be exempt from disclosure. (c) Duplication costs. (1) For copies of documents... rate prescribed in section 3717 of Title 31 U.S.C. and will accrue from the date of the billing. (e...

44 CFR 5.46 - Fee schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... records responsive to a FOIA request and operator/programmer salary apportionable to the search. FEMA may... are determined to be exempt from disclosure. (c) Duplication costs. (1) For copies of documents... rate prescribed in section 3717 of Title 31 U.S.C. and will accrue from the date of the billing. (e...

27 CFR 478.124 - Firearms transaction record.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...; and certification by the transferee that the transferee is not prohibited by the Act from transporting... or transported in interstate or foreign commerce or possessing a firearm in or affecting commerce. (2... bills or a lease agreement. The licensee shall note on the form the documentation used. (e) Prior to...

76 FR 2759 - Proposed Information Collection (VAAR Sections 809.106-1, 809.504(d), and Clause 852.209-70...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-14

..., or ice cream products or for laundry or dry cleaning services whether or not the firm's facility has..., Enterprise Records Service. [FR Doc. 2011-785 Filed 1-13-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8320-01-P ...

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2013-12-10

Senate - 12/10/2013 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Expedition One CDR Shepherd in Node 1/Unity module

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-02-16

STS98-E-5287 (16 February 2001) --- Astronaut William M. (Bill) Shepherd, Expedition One commander, participates in a parting chat with some astronaut visitors (out of frame), about to conclude their time on the outpost. The scene was recorded with a digital still camera during farewells in the Unity node.

Bill McMahon | NREL

Science.gov Websites

career at NREL in 1995 by conducting scanning tunneling microscope (STM) studies of the atomic structure revealed a new strain-induced step structure and contributed to the development of world-record-efficiency NREL's Computational Materials Science team, probing the atomic structure of dislocations in III-V

Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA

2014-07-09

Senate - 07/16/2014 Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to the measure (Record Vote No. 228) entered in Senate. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

77 FR 14765 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

... message. Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, United States..., USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2012-5989 Filed 3-12-12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE... Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the...

77 FR 2275 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-17

.... Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, United States Patent..., USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2012-720 Filed 1-13-12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE... Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the...

77 FR 39222 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-02

... of the message. Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer..., USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2012-16091 Filed 6-29-12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE... Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the...

A resolution supporting the designation of October 6, 2011, as "Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day".

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA

2011-10-06

Senate - 10/06/2011 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2011-11-29

Senate - 11/29/2011 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

12 CFR 1202.11 - What will it cost to get the records I requested?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... have a history of prompt payment of FOIA fees to FHFA. If you do not have a history of payment, or if... a timely fashion, i.e., within 30 calendar days of the date of a billing. FHFA may require you to...

Politics and the Environmental Agenda.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Adam

1992-01-01

Discusses the role of environmental protection in the 1992 presidential election. Includes an analysis of the positions taken by George Bush and Dan Quayle, Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Presents George Bush's "environmental" record during his tenure as President of the United States as well as those of Quayle, Gore, and Clinton. (MCO)

Genome-wide study of resistant hypertension identified from electronic health records.

PubMed

Dumitrescu, Logan; Ritchie, Marylyn D; Denny, Joshua C; El Rouby, Nihal M; McDonough, Caitrin W; Bradford, Yuki; Ramirez, Andrea H; Bielinski, Suzette J; Basford, Melissa A; Chai, High Seng; Peissig, Peggy; Carrell, David; Pathak, Jyotishman; Rasmussen, Luke V; Wang, Xiaoming; Pacheco, Jennifer A; Kho, Abel N; Hayes, M Geoffrey; Matsumoto, Martha; Smith, Maureen E; Li, Rongling; Cooper-DeHoff, Rhonda M; Kullo, Iftikhar J; Chute, Christopher G; Chisholm, Rex L; Jarvik, Gail P; Larson, Eric B; Carey, David; McCarty, Catherine A; Williams, Marc S; Roden, Dan M; Bottinger, Erwin; Johnson, Julie A; de Andrade, Mariza; Crawford, Dana C

2017-01-01

Resistant hypertension is defined as high blood pressure that remains above treatment goals in spite of the concurrent use of three antihypertensive agents from different classes. Despite the important health consequences of resistant hypertension, few studies of resistant hypertension have been conducted. To perform a genome-wide association study for resistant hypertension, we defined and identified cases of resistant hypertension and hypertensives with treated, controlled hypertension among >47,500 adults residing in the US linked to electronic health records (EHRs) and genotyped as part of the electronic MEdical Records & GEnomics (eMERGE) Network. Electronic selection logic using billing codes, laboratory values, text queries, and medication records was used to identify resistant hypertension cases and controls at each site, and a total of 3,006 cases of resistant hypertension and 876 controlled hypertensives were identified among eMERGE Phase I and II sites. After imputation and quality control, a total of 2,530,150 SNPs were tested for an association among 2,830 multi-ethnic cases of resistant hypertension and 876 controlled hypertensives. No test of association was genome-wide significant in the full dataset or in the dataset limited to European American cases (n = 1,719) and controls (n = 708). The most significant finding was CLNK rs13144136 at p = 1.00x10-6 (odds ratio = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.58-0.80) in the full dataset with similar results in the European American only dataset. We also examined whether SNPs known to influence blood pressure or hypertension also influenced resistant hypertension. None was significant after correction for multiple testing. These data highlight both the difficulties and the potential utility of EHR-linked genomic data to study clinically-relevant traits such as resistant hypertension.

Hepatitis A and B immunity and vaccination in chronic hepatitis B and C patients in a large United States cohort.

PubMed

Henkle, Emily; Lu, Mei; Rupp, Lora B; Boscarino, Joseph A; Vijayadeva, Vinutha; Schmidt, Mark A; Gordon, Stuart C

2015-02-15

Hepatitis A and B vaccines are effective in preventing superinfection and sequelae in patients with chronic hepatitis B or C. We describe immunity and vaccination against hepatitis A and B in chronic hepatitis patients from the US Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study. We identified chronic hepatitis B and C patients with healthcare utilization during 2006-2008 and 12 months of enrollment. We used electronic laboratory records to determine immunity and medical and billing records for vaccination history. Immunity against hepatitis A was defined by positive hepatitis A antibody or documented vaccination. Immunity against hepatitis B was defined as hepatitis B surface antibody level ≥10 mIU/mL or core antibody positive, or by documented vaccination. Among 1635 chronic hepatitis B patients, 978 (59.8%) were immune or vaccinated against hepatitis A, 122 (7.5%) had negative hepatitis A antibody tests, and 535 (32.7%) had no testing or vaccination record. Among 5328 chronic hepatitis C patients, 2998 (56.3%) were immune or vaccinated against hepatitis A, 659 (12.4%) had negative hepatitis A antibody tests, and 1671 (31.4%) had no testing or vaccination record. Additionally, 3150 (59.1%) chronic hepatitis C patients were immune or vaccinated against hepatitis B, 1003 (18.8%) had a negative test result, and 1175 (22.1%) were neither tested for nor vaccinated against hepatitis B. Approximately 40% of chronic hepatitis B and C patients are susceptible to or have no documented immunity or vaccination against hepatitis A or hepatitis B. Clinicians should consider antibody testing and vaccination for this vulnerable population. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Modelling the Effects of Teacher Demand Factors on Teacher Understaffing in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wamukuru, David Kuria

2016-01-01

The secondary school teacher labour market faces many challenges including, escalating teacher wage bill, teacher shortages that occur alongside teacher surpluses, inadequate teacher distribution and inefficient teacher utilization. There is the need therefore to understand the effects of the factors determining demand for secondary school…

ResStock Analysis Tool | Buildings | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Energy and Cost Savings for U.S. Homes Contact Eric Wilson to learn how ResStock can benefit your approach to large-scale residential energy analysis by combining: Large public and private data sources uncovered $49 billion in potential annual utility bill savings through cost-effective energy efficiency

ResStock - Targeting Energy and Cost Savings for U.S. Homes | NREL

Science.gov Websites

ResStock - Targeting Energy and Cost Savings for U.S. Homes Science and Technology Highlights Highlights in Research & Development ResStock - Targeting Energy and Cost Savings for U.S. Homes Key discovered $49 billion in potential annual utility bill savings through cost-effective energy efficiency

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County, Lake Worth, Florida

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

2012-03-01

PNNL and Florida Solar Energy Center worked with Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County to upgrade an empty 1996 home with a 14.5 SEER AC, heat pump water heater, CFLs, more attic insulation, and air sealing to cut utility bills $872 annually.

Electronic Mail: Defining a Role for the U.S. Postal Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, John F.

Threatened by competitive diversification and by increasing costs, the United States Postal Service has investigated two potential cost reducing systems: (1) a microsystem which would provide electronic facsimile transmission between major markets and (2) a macrosystem which could take digital input such as utility bills and deliver a hardcopy to…

Challenges on the Front Lines: Serving Today's Student Veterans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Alexander; Parks, Rodney; Edwards, Ashley

2016-01-01

In recent years, veterans have enrolled at higher education institutions in vastly increasingly numbers to utilize their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. In response to this influx, universities have established a variety of resources and support systems designed to serve the needs of student veterans. There has also been heightened attention toward…

Faces of the Recovery Act: The Impact of Smart Grid

ScienceCinema

President Obama

2017-12-09

On October 27th, Baltimore Gas & Electric was selected to receive $200 million for Smart Grid innovation projects under the Recovery Act. Watch as members of their team, along with President Obama, explain how building a smarter grid will help consumers cut their utility bills, battle climate change and create jobs.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allgood, Tiffany L.; Sorter, Andy

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe's Energy Efficiency Feasibility Study (EEFS) is the culminating document that compiles the energy efficiency and building performance assessment and project prioritization process completed on 36 Tribally owned and operated facilities within Tribal lands. The EEFS contains sections on initial findings, utility billing analyses, energy conservation measures and prioritization and funding sources and strategies for energy project implementation.

NREL to Host Range of Activities for Energy Awareness Month

Science.gov Websites

Host Range of Activities for Energy Awareness Month Events devoted to energy savings Golden, Colo., Sept. 20, 2000 - Visitors will get an inside look at advanced energy technologies and learn tips for cutting utility bills when the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy

77 FR 46213 - Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-02

.... Monitoring Impact of FY 2012 Policy Changes and Certain SNF Practices A. RUG Distributions B. Group Therapy... Common Procedure Coding System HR-III Hybrid Resource Utilization Groups, Version 3 IHS IGI (Information... OCN OMB Control Number OMB Office of Management and Budget OMRA Other Medicare-Required Assessment PPS...

New workers' compensation legislation: expected pharmaceutical cost savings.

PubMed

Wilson, Leslie; Gitlin, Matthew

2005-10-01

California Workers' Compensation (WC) system costs are under review. With recently approved California State Assembly Bill (AB) 749 and Senate Bill (SB) 228, an assessment of proposed pharmaceutical cost savings is needed. A large workers' compensation database provided by the California Workers' Compensation Institute (CWCI) and Medi-Cal pharmacy costs obtained from the State Drug Utilization Project are utilized to compare frequency, costs and savings to Workers' Compensation in 2002 with the new pharmacy legislation. Compared to the former California Workers' Compensation fee schedule, the newly implemented 100% Medi-Cal fee schedule will result in savings of 29.5% with a potential total pharmacy cost savings of $125 million. Further statistical analysis demonstrated that a large variability in savings across drugs could not be controlled with this drug pricing system. Despite the large savings in pharmaceuticals, inconsistencies between the two pharmaceutical payment systems could lead to negative incentives and uncertainty for long-term savings. Proposed alternative pricing systems could be considered. However, pain management implemented along with other cost containment strategies could more effectively reduce overall drug spending in the workers' compensation system.

Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes (BESTEST-EX) (Presentation)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Judkoff, R.; Neymark, J.; Polly, B.

2011-12-01

This presentation discusses the goals of NREL Analysis Accuracy R&D; BESTEST-EX goals; what BESTEST-EX is; how it works; 'Building Physics' cases; 'Building Physics' reference results; 'utility bill calibration' cases; limitations and potential future work. Goals of NREL Analysis Accuracy R&D are: (1) Provide industry with the tools and technical information needed to improve the accuracy and consistency of analysis methods; (2) Reduce the risks associated with purchasing, financing, and selling energy efficiency upgrades; and (3) Enhance software and input collection methods considering impacts on accuracy, cost, and time of energy assessments. BESTEST-EX Goals are: (1) Test software predictions of retrofitmore » energy savings in existing homes; (2) Ensure building physics calculations and utility bill calibration procedures perform up to a minimum standard; and (3) Quantify impact of uncertainties in input audit data and occupant behavior. BESTEST-EX is a repeatable procedure that tests how well audit software predictions compare to the current state of the art in building energy simulation. There is no direct truth standard. However, reference software have been subjected to validation testing, including comparisons with empirical data.« less

Evaluation of Savings in Energy-Efficient Public Housing in the Pacific Northwest

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gordon, A.; Lubliner, M.; Howard, L.

2013-10-01

This report presents the results of an energy performance and cost-effectiveness analysis. The Salishan phase 7 and demonstration homes were compared to Salishan phase 6 homes built to 2006 Washington State Energy Code specifications 2. Predicted annual energy savings (over Salishan phase 6) was 19% for Salishan phase 7, and between 19-24% for the demonstration homes (depending on ventilation strategy). Approximately two-thirds of the savings are attributable to the DHP. Working with the electric utility provider, Tacoma Public Utilities, researchers conducted a billing analysis for Salishan phase 7.

Effects of Live and Educational Music Therapy on Working Alliance and Trust With Patients on Detoxification Unit: A Four-Group Cluster-Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Silverman, Michael J

2016-11-09

Lyric analysis is a commonly utilized music therapy intervention for clients in substance abuse rehabilitation wherein participants interpret song lyrics related to their clinical objectives. For these patients, working alliance and trust in the therapist represent consequential factors that may influence outcomes. However, there is a lack of randomized controlled music therapy studies investigating working alliance and trust in the therapist within lyric analysis interventions for patients with addictions. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively differentiate live versus recorded and educational versus recreational music therapy interventions via measures of working alliance and trust with patients on a detoxification unit. Participants (N = 130) were cluster randomized in a single-session posttest-only design to one of four conditions: Live educational music therapy, recorded educational music therapy, education without music, or recreational music therapy. Dependent measures included working alliance and trust in the therapist. Educational music therapy interventions were scripted lyric analyses. There was no statistically significant between-group difference in any of the measures. Although not significant, a greater number of patients and research participants attended live educational music therapy sessions. Between-group descriptive data were consistently similar but attendance trends may have implications for engaging patients and billing. Implications for clinical practice, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are provided.

City public service learns to speed read. [Computerized routing system for meter reading

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aitken, E.L.

1994-02-01

City Public Service (CPS) of San Antonio, TX is a municipally owned utility that serves a densely populated 1,566 square miles in and around San Antonio. CPS's service area is divided into 21 meter reading districts, each of which is broken down into no more than 99 regular routes. Every day, a CPS employee reads one of the districts, following one or more routes. In 1991, CPS began using handheld computers to record reads for regular routes, which are stored on the devices themselves. In contrast, rereads and final reads occur at random throughout the service area. Because they changemore » every day, the process of creating routes that can be loaded onto a handheld device is difficult. Until recently, rereads and final reads were printed on paper orders, and route schedulers would spend close to two hours sorting the paper orders into routes. Meter readers would then hand-sequence the orders on their routes, often using a city map, before taking them into the field in stacks. When the meter readers returned, their completed orders had to be separated by type of reread, and then keyed into the mainframe computer before bill processing could begin. CPS's data processing department developed a computerized routing system of its own that saves time and labor, as well as paper. The system eliminates paper orders entirely, enabling schedulers to create reread and final read routes graphically on a PC. Information no longer needs to be keyed from hard copy, reducing the margin of error and streamlining bill processing by incorporating automated data transfer between systems.« less

Association of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders with somatic or biomedical diagnoses: do population-based utilization study results support the adverse childhood experiences study?

PubMed

Wilkes, T C R; Guyn, Lindsay; Li, Bing; Lu, Mingshan; Cawthorpe, David

2012-01-01

Few population-based studies have examined the relationship between psychiatric and somatic or biomedical disorders. We examined the effect of the presence or absence of any psychiatric disorder on somatic or biomedical diagnosis disorder costs. Guided by the Kaiser Permanente and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, we examined our administrative data to test if psychiatric disorder is associated with a higher level of somatic disorder. A dataset containing registration data for 205,281 patients younger than age 18 years was randomly selected from administrative data based on these patients never having received any specialized, publicly funded ambulatory, emergency or inpatient admission for treatment of a psychiatric disorder. All physician billing records (8,724,714) from the 16 fiscal years April 1993 to March 2009 were collected and grouped on the basis of presence or absence of any International Classification of Diseases (ICD) psychiatric disorder. We compared 2 groups (with or without any psychiatric disorder: dependent variable) on the cumulative 16-year mean cost for somatic (biomedical, nonpsychiatric) ICD diagnoses (independent variable). Billing costs related to somatic and biomedical disorders (nonpsychiatric costs) were 1.8 times greater for those with psychiatric disorders than for those without psychiatric disorders. Somatic costs peaked before the age of 6 years and remained higher than the groupings without psychiatric disorders in each age range. In support of the ACE study, ICD psychiatric disorders (as an index of developmental adversity) are associated with substantially greater ICD somatic disorders. The findings have implications for health care practice.

Rebuild America Jobs Act

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN

2011-10-31

Senate - 11/03/2011 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure under the order of 11/2/2011, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 49. Record Vote Number: 195. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

22 CFR 213.20 - Administrative offset of non-employee debts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... authorities and offsets or recoupments under common law. It does not apply to offsets against employee... notice in the form of a Bill for Collection or demand letter outlining the type and amount of the debt... filing of the request, a written final decision based on the evidence, record and applicable law. (f...

22 CFR 213.20 - Administrative offset of non-employee debts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... authorities and offsets or recoupments under common law. It does not apply to offsets against employee... notice in the form of a Bill for Collection or demand letter outlining the type and amount of the debt... filing of the request, a written final decision based on the evidence, record and applicable law. (f...

75 FR 54226 - Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-03

... required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently the... requested to issue and maintain treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds. Current Actions: None. Type of Review... comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of...

LAS

Science.gov Websites

Water Rights Information Enter Account Number (File Type and File Number). File Type: File Number: See mining claims bills! To make a payment by credit card or from your bank account, click here. Case, Land , and Water Information Search Records Display Case File Information Display Land Information Display

11 CFR 9003.5 - Documentation of disbursements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... candidate shall present a canceled check negotiated by the payee and either: (i) A receipted bill from the... paragraphs (b)(1) (i) or (ii) of this section is not available, the candidate or committee may present... disbursements, the candidate shall present: (i) A record disclosing the full name and mailing address of the...

22 CFR 309.9 - Notice-written demand for payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Notice-written demand for payment. 309.9 Section 309.9 Foreign Relations PEACE CORPS DEBT COLLECTION Collection Actions § 309.9 Notice—written demand... the records of Peace Corps) at least one written notice (e.g. Bill of Collection or demand letter...

Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2013-03-21

Senate - 04/18/2013 Amendment SA 730, under the order of 4/16/13, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 95 - 2. Record Vote Number: 105. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

76 FR 22390 - Combined Notice of Filings #1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-21

...: Conforming Tariff Record--Exhibit 1D Billing Policy to be effective 5/1/2011. Filed Date: 04/12/2011.... Description: Entergy Arkansas, Inc. submits tariff filing per 35.17(b): West Memphis Corrected NITSA to be...: ER11-3333-000. Applicants: NV Energy, Inc. Description: NV Energy, Inc. submits tariff filing per 35.12...

Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3

2013-05-13

House - 06/20/2013 On passage Failed by recorded vote: 195 - 234 (Roll no. 286). (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.2642, which became Public Law 113-79 on 2/7/2014. Tracker: This bill has the status Failed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution honoring the victims and heroes of the shooting on January 8, 2011 in Tucson, Arizona.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ

2011-01-25

Senate - 01/26/2011 Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Yea-Nay Vote. 97 - 0. Record Vote Number: 1. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution congratulating the men and women of the National Archives and Records Administration on the occasion of its 75th anniversary.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE

2009-06-19

Senate - 06/19/2009 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

FDA Food Safety Modernization Act

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL

2009-03-03

Senate - 11/30/2010 Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 73 - 25. Record Vote Number: 257. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.2751, which became Public Law 111-353 on 1/4/2011. Tracker: This bill has the status Passed SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A joint resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission with respect to regulating the Internet and broadband industry practices.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX

2011-02-16

Senate - 11/10/2011 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 46 - 52. Record Vote Number: 200. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

75 FR 30915 - Computer Matching Program Between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-02

..., and reservists, and eligible dependents who have applied for or who are receiving education benefit... Leader, Education Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont... receiving, or have received education benefit payments under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. These benefit records...

76 FR 2923 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-18

... search for the records sought. As a convenience, the form will allow researchers to provide credit card information to authorize billing and expedited mailing of the copies. You can also use Order Online! ( http... of information on respondents, including the use of information technology; and (e) whether small...

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2013-02-27

Senate - 02/27/2013 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

76 FR 20611 - Electronic On-Board Recorders and Hours of Service Supporting Documents

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

..., used, and disseminated (e.g., in post- accident litigation or in personal litigation such as divorce proceedings). Based on the factors above, the Agency has determined that the statute requires it to protect... Doc. 2011-8789 Filed 4-12-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P ...

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to contributions and expenditures intended to affect elections.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM

2013-06-18

Senate - 09/11/2014 Cloture on the joint resolution not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 54 - 42. Record Vote Number: 261. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

31 CFR 357.24 - Availability and disclosure of Legacy Treasury Direct ® records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... REGULATIONS GOVERNING BOOK-ENTRY TREASURY BONDS, NOTES AND BILLS HELD IN LEGACY TREASURY DIRECT Legacy... Direct account are held confidential. Consistent with the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), information... identify the Legacy Treasury Direct account. (c) Conditions for release. A request for information will be...

15 CFR 758.1 - The Automated Export System (AES) record.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... entered on the loading document (e.g., Cargo Declaration, manifest, bill of lading, (master) air waybill... for all items being exported under the NLR provisions that have a reason for control other than anti-terrorism (AT). The designator “TSPA” may be used, but is not required, when the export consists of...

75 FR 1625 - Privacy Act of 1974; Report of Amended or Altered System; Medical, Health and Billing Records System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-12

...., desktop, laptop, handheld or other computer types) containing protected personal identifiers or PHI is... as the National Indian Women's Resource Center, to conduct analytical and evaluation studies. 8... SYSTEM: STORAGE: File folders, ledgers, card files, microfiche, microfilm, computer tapes, disk packs...

Temporal Patterns of Behavior from the Scheduling of Psychology Quizzes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarmolowicz, David P.; Hayashi, Yusuke; St. Peter Pipkin, Claire

2010-01-01

Temporal patterns of behavior have been observed in real-life performances such as bill passing in the U.S. Congress, in-class studying, and quiz taking. However, the practical utility of understanding these patterns has not been evaluated. The current study demonstrated the presence of temporal patterns of quiz taking in a university-level…

REAR DETAIL OF RIGHT ENGINE AND WING. THRUST REVERSER REMAINS ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

REAR DETAIL OF RIGHT ENGINE AND WING. THRUST REVERSER REMAINS OPEN. MECHANICS JONI BAINE (R) AND BILL THEODORE(L) OPEN FLAP CARRIAGE ACCESS WITH AN IMPACT GUN. THEY WILL CHECK TRANSMISSION FLUID AND OIL THE JACK SCREW. AT FAR LEFT UTILITY MECHANICS BEGIN BODY POLISHING. - Greater Buffalo International Airport, Maintenance Hangar, Buffalo, Erie County, NY

Response of timber growth and avian communities to quality vegetation management in mid-rotation crp pine plantations

Treesearch

Brandon G. Sladek; Ian A. Munn; L. Wes Burder; Scott D. Roberts

2006-01-01

Provisions of the 2002 Farm Bill gave Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants greater flexibility to implement mid-contract management activities that encourage wildlife habitat improvement and timber production. Quality Vegetation Management (QVM) is one such technique that utilizes the selective herbicide Imazapyr and prescribed burning. Timber growth (d.b.h...

The Importance of Interaction in Web-Based Education: A Program-Level Case Study of Online MBA Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, Bude; Bonk, Curtis J.; Magjuka, Richard J.; Liu, Xiaojing; Lee, Seung-hee

2005-01-01

Though interaction is often billed as a significant component of successful online learning, empirical evidence of its importance as well as practical guidance or specific interaction techniques continue to be lacking. In response, this study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data to investigate how instructors and students perceive the…

An Investigation of Racial and/or Ethnic Minority Teacher Candidates' Strengths Awareness and Utilization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hui

2012-01-01

There is a consensus among researchers that teachers from diverse linguistic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds contribute to American education (Dee, 2004; Easton-Brooks, Lewis, & Yang, 2010; Irvine, 2003; Irvine & Fenwick, 2011; Ladson-Billings, 2005; Lu, 2005; Talbert-Johnson, 2001). There is also a call for teacher educators to recognize what…

Comprehensive Services Tailored for the Transitional Success of Veterans in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lange, Dustin D.; Sears, Susann Heft; Osborne, Nicholas J.

2016-01-01

It is estimated that in the next decade, over two million veterans and dependents will utilize the Post-9/11 GI Bill for postsecondary education. Most colleges already possess the resources that veterans need to successfully transition and persist, though this subpopulation of learners also require services that are tailored to their…

AB 540: Tuition Waiver Policy in California: How Student Services Professionals Influence College Access for Undocumented Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Lynn J.

2018-01-01

This was an exploratory qualitative study utilizing tenets of phenomenology to examine the lived experiences of front-line student services professionals in Admissions and Financial Aid and their dilemmas in interpreting and implementing California Assembly Bill 540 (2001) in their interactions with undocumented students. Front-line student…

Predicting Length of Stay for Obstetric Patients via Electronic Medical Records.

PubMed

Gao, Cheng; Kho, Abel N; Ivory, Catherine; Osmundson, Sarah; Malin, Bradley A; Chen, You

2017-01-01

Obstetric care refers to the care provided to patients during ante-, intra-, and postpartum periods. Predicting length of stay (LOS) for these patients during their hospitalizations can assist healthcare organizations in allocating hospital resources more effectively and efficiently, ultimately improving maternal care quality and reducing costs to patients. In this paper, we investigate the extent to which LOS can be forecast from a patient's medical history. We introduce a machine learning framework to incorporate a patient's prior conditions (e.g., diagnostic codes) as features in a predictive model for LOS. We evaluate the framework with three years of historical billing data from the electronic medical records of 9188 obstetric patients in a large academic medical center. The results indicate that our framework achieved an average accuracy of 49.3%, which is higher than the baseline accuracy 37.7% (that relies solely on a patient's age). The most predictive features were found to have statistically significant discriminative ability. These features included billing codes for normal delivery (indicative of shorter stay) and antepartum hypertension (indicative of longer stay).

Pediatric emergency room visits for nontraumatic dental disease.

PubMed

Graham, D B; Webb, M D; Seale, N S

2000-01-01

This study described the incidence and predisposing, enabling, and need factors of outpatients in a pediatric ER who sought care for nontraumatic preventable dental disease and analyzed treatment rendered by attending physicians and associated hospital charges for treatment. Chart review of outpatients discharged from the ER of a children's hospital during 1996-97, using ICD-9 diagnostic codes for dental caries, periapical abscess and facial cellulitis yielded the data for this investigation. During 1996-97, 149 patients made 159 ER visits. The most common diagnoses were ICD-9 codes 521.0 for dental caries (48%) and 522.5 for periapical abscess (47%). Medicaid recipients used the ER at an intermediate level between patients with no payor source and those with private insurance. Almost one-half of the accounts changed status during the billing process, with the majority being entered as private pay upon admission, but changing to bad debt or charity after the registration records were processed and collection was attempted. Most patients were treated empirically by the ER physicians according to their presenting signs/symptoms. This study confirmed that parents utilize the ER as their child's primary dental care source.

Lessons learned from the reimbursement profile of a mature private medical toxicology practice: office-based practice pays.

PubMed

Thompson, Trevonne M; Leikin, Jerrold B

2015-03-01

We previously reported the financial data for the first 5 years of one of the author's medical toxicology practice. The practice has matured; changes have been made. The practice is increasing its focus on office-based encounters and reducing hospital-based acute care encounters. We report the reimbursement rates and other financial metrics of the current practice. Financial records from October 2009 through September 2013 were reviewed. This is a period of 4 fiscal years and represents the currently available financial data. Charges, payments, and reimbursement rates were recorded according to the type and setting of the medical toxicology encounter: forensic consultations, outpatient clinic encounters, nonpsychiatric inpatient consultations, emergency department (ED) consultations, and inpatient psychiatric consultations. All patients were seen regardless of ability to pay or insurance status. The number of billed Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for office-based encounters increased over the study period; the number of billed CPT codes for inpatient and ED consultations reduced. Office-based encounters demonstrate a higher reimbursement rate and higher payments. In the fiscal year (FY) of 2012, office-based revenue exceeded hospital-based acute care revenue by over $140,000 despite a higher number of billed CPT encounters in acute care settings, and outpatient payments were 2.39 times higher than inpatient, inpatient psychiatry, observation unit, and ED payments combined. The average payment per CPT code was higher for outpatient clinic encounters than inpatient encounters for each fiscal year studied. There was an overall reduction in CPT billing volume between FY 2010 and FY 2013. Despite this, there was an increase in total practice revenue. There was no change in payor mix, practice logistics, or billing/collection service company. In this medical toxicology practice, office-based encounters demonstrate higher reimbursement rates and overall payments compared to inpatient and ED consultations. While consistent with our previous studies, these differences have been accentuated. This study demonstrates the results of changes to the practice--reduced inpatient/ED consultations and increased outpatient encounters. These practice changes resulted in higher overall revenue despite a lower patient volume. In this analysis, the office-based practice of medical toxicology has higher reimbursement rates, nearly 2.5 times higher, when compared to hospital-based acute care consultations.

Cascade Apartments: Deep Energy Multifamily Retrofit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gordon, A.; Mattheis, L.; Kunkle, R.

2014-02-01

In December of 2009-10, King County Housing Authority (KCHA) implemented energy retrofit improvements in the Cascade multifamily community, located in Kent, Washington (marine climate.)This research effort involved significant coordination from stakeholders KCHA, WA State Department of Commerce, utility Puget Sound Energy, and Cascade tenants. This report focuses on the following three primary BA research questions : 1. What are the modeled energy savings using DOE low income weatherization approved TREAT software? 2. How did the modeled energy savings compare with measured energy savings from aggregate utility billing analysis? 3. What is the Savings to Investment Ratio (SIR) of the retrofitmore » package after considering utility window incentives and KCHA capitol improvement funding.« less

Cascade Apartments - Deep Energy Multifamily Retrofit , Kent, Washington (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2014-02-01

In December of 2009-10, King County Housing Authority (KCHA) implemented energy retrofit improvements in the Cascade multifamily community, located in Kent, Washington (marine climate.)This research effort involved significant coordination from stakeholders KCHA, WA State Department of Commerce, utility Puget Sound Energy, and Cascade tenants. This report focuses on the following three primary BA research questions : 1. What are the modeled energy savings using DOE low income weatherization approved TREAT software? 2. How did the modeled energy savings compare with measured energy savings from aggregate utility billing analysis? 3. What is the Savings to Investment Ratio (SIR) of the retrofitmore » package after considering utility window incentives and KCHA capitol improvement funding.« less

Cascade Apartments: Deep Energy Multifamily Retrofit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gordon, A.; Mattheis, L.; Kunkle, R.

2014-02-01

In December of 2009-10, King County Housing Authority (KCHA) implemented energy retrofit improvements in the Cascade multifamily community, located in Kent, Washington (marine climate.)This research effort involved significant coordination from stakeholders KCHA, WA State Department of Commerce, utility Puget Sound Energy, and Cascade tenants. This report focuses on the following three primary BA research questions: 1. What are the modeled energy savings using DOE low income weatherization approved TREAT software? 2. How did the modeled energy savings compare with measured energy savings from aggregate utility billing analysis? 3. What is the Savings to Investment Ratio (SIR) of the retrofit packagemore » after considering utility window incentives and KCHA capitol improvement funding.« less

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Use Along the Lower Colorado River and Its Tributaries, 2007 Annual Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Matthew J.; Durst, Scott L.; Calvo, Christopher M.; Stewart, Laura; Sogge, Mark K.; Bland, Geoffrey; Arundel, Terry R.

2008-01-01

This 2007 annual report details the second season of a 2-year study documenting western yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) distribution, abundance, and habitat use throughout the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program boundary area. We conducted cuckoo surveys at 40 sites within 14 areas, between 11 June and 9 September 2007. The 169 surveys across all sites yielded 163 yellow-billed cuckoo detections. Cuckoos were detected at 25 of the 40 sites, primarily at the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) study area (n = 139 detections; 85 percent of all detections). Detections declined slightly through the cuckoo breeding season, with most detections occurring in the first and second survey periods (n = 92; 54 percent). We detected breeding activity only at the Bill Williams River NWR, where we confirmed 27 breeding events, including two nesting observations. However, the breeding status of most detected birds was unknown. We used playback broadcast recordings to survey for yellow-billed cuckoos. Compared to simple point counts or surveys, this method increases the number of detections of this secretive, elusive species. It has long been suspected that cuckoos have a fairly low response rate, and that the standard survey method of using broadcast recordings might fail to detect all birds present in an area. In 2007, we found that the majority (84 percent) of cuckoo detections were solicited through broadcast at all study sites. The number of solicited detections was highest during the first survey period and declined as the breeding season progressed, while the number of unsolicited detections (cuckoos heard calling before broadcast was initiated) remained fairly constant through the first, second, and third survey periods. The majority (66 percent) of cuckoo detections, solicited or unsolicited, were aural, 23 percent were both heard and seen, and 11 percent were visual detections only. We also found that 50 percent of all responses by cuckoos were evenly split between the first and second broadcasts at sites with >10 detections, while 45 percent of responses occurred after a single broadcast at the sites with <10 detections. We refined our collection of vegetation data in 2007 and found that across the entire study area the dominant tree species were tamarisk (Tamarix spp.), willow (Salix spp.), and cottonwood (Populus spp.). The smallest size class (<8 cm diameter at breast height) trees were the most common and were dominated by tamarisk, but cottonwood and willows were well represented in the larger size classes. Sites that were occupied by yellow-billed cuckoos generally had higher canopies, denser cover in the upper layers of the canopy, and sparse shrub layers compared to unoccupied sites that consistently had higher densities of woody species. As most occupied sites were within the Bill Williams River NWR and most unoccupied sites were at Grand Canyon National Park/Lake Mead National Recreation Area, vegetation characteristics at these study areas drove the cuckoo distribution patterns we observed in 2007. However, there was a range of habitat conditions in locations that were used by yellow-billed cuckoos across the entire lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program study area. We measured microclimate variables (temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture) at occupied and unoccupied sites, and found that, across the entire study area, occupied sites were consistently cooler during the day and more humid during the day and night compared to unoccupied sites, but that soil moisture did not differ between occupied and unoccupied sites. While most cuckoo detections occurred at Bill Williams River NWR, with generally cooler and more humid conditions, cuckoos were also detected at study areas that had hotter and dryer microclimate conditions. We did not find any relationship of canopy cover characteristics to temperature or soil moisture, suggesting

Financial viability, benefits and challenges of employing a nurse practitioner in general practice.

PubMed

Helms, Christopher; Crookes, Jo; Bailey, David

2015-04-01

This case study examines the financial viability, benefits and challenges of employing a primary healthcare (PHC) nurse practitioner (NP) in a bulk-billing healthcare cooperative in the Australian Capital Territory. There are few empirical case reports in the Australian literature that demonstrate financial sustainability of this type of healthcare professional in primary healthcare. This case study demonstrates that the costs of employing a PHC-NP in general practice are offset by direct and indirect Medicare billings generated by the PHC-NP, resulting in a cost-neutral healthcare practitioner. The success of this model relies on bidirectional collaborative working relationships amongst general practitioners and NPs. PHC-NPs should have a generalist scope of practice and specialist expertise in order to maximise their utility within the general practice environment.

Using electronic medical records to enable large-scale studies in psychiatry: treatment resistant depression as a model

PubMed Central

Perlis, R. H.; Iosifescu, D. V.; Castro, V. M.; Murphy, S. N.; Gainer, V. S.; Minnier, J.; Cai, T.; Goryachev, S.; Zeng, Q.; Gallagher, P. J.; Fava, M.; Weilburg, J. B.; Churchill, S. E.; Kohane, I. S.; Smoller, J. W.

2013-01-01

Background Electronic medical records (EMR) provide a unique opportunity for efficient, large-scale clinical investigation in psychiatry. However, such studies will require development of tools to define treatment outcome. Method Natural language processing (NLP) was applied to classify notes from 127 504 patients with a billing diagnosis of major depressive disorder, drawn from out-patient psychiatry practices affiliated with multiple, large New England hospitals. Classifications were compared with results using billing data (ICD-9 codes) alone and to a clinical gold standard based on chart review by a panel of senior clinicians. These cross-sectional classifications were then used to define longitudinal treatment outcomes, which were compared with a clinician-rated gold standard. Results Models incorporating NLP were superior to those relying on billing data alone for classifying current mood state (area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.85–0.88 v. 0.54–0.55). When these cross-sectional visits were integrated to define longitudinal outcomes and incorporate treatment data, 15% of the cohort remitted with a single antidepressant treatment, while 13% were identified as failing to remit despite at least two antidepressant trials. Non-remitting patients were more likely to be non-Caucasian (p<0.001). Conclusions The application of bioinformatics tools such as NLP should enable accurate and efficient determination of longitudinal outcomes, enabling existing EMR data to be applied to clinical research, including biomarker investigations. Continued development will be required to better address moderators of outcome such as adherence and co-morbidity. PMID:21682950

Reconstructing paleo-precipitation amounts using a terrestrial hydrologic model: Lake Titicaca and the Salar de Uyuni, Peru and Bolivia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nunnery, J. A.; Baker, P. A.; Coe, M. T.; Fritz, S. C.

2010-12-01

The Peruvian/Bolivian Altiplano has provided many information-rich records bearing on the history of the South American summer monsoon (SASM), a large-scale circulation system that is responsible for much of the precipitation over the Amazon basin and the southern tropics and subtropics. Examples of these paleoclimate time series include long, drill core records from Lake Titicaca (extending back to ca. 400 Ka, Fritz et al., 2007), the long drill core record from Salar de Uyuni (> 250 Ka, Baker et al., 2001; Fritz et al., 2004), paleo-lake level records from the Salar de Uyuni (e.g. Bills et al., 2004; Placzek et al, 2006); drill core records from the Rio Desaguadero valley (Rigsby et al., 2003), and ice core records from Quelccaya, Illimani, and Sajama (Thompson et al., 2000; Ramirez et al., 2003). Several previous studies using energy and water balance models have been applied to these records in attempts to provide quantitative constraints on paleo-temperature and paleo-precipitation (e.g. Kessler, 1984; Hastenrath and Kutzbach, 1985; Cross et al, 2001; Rowe and Dunbar, 2004; Arnold, 2002; Blodgett et al., 1997). For example, Blodgett et al. concluded that high paleolake stands in the Bolivian Altiplano, dated at ca. 16,000 cal. Yr BP (Bills et al., 1994) required precipitation 20% higher than modern at temperatures 5°C colder than modern. However, their model did not take into account the major overflow from Lake Titicaca. Using the THMB hydrologic model, we show that overflow from Lake Titicaca is necessary to produce and sustain large lakes in the Salar de Uyuni basin. This hydrological connection (via the Rio Desaguadero) between the northern and southern Altiplano likely was only established about 60,000 years ago. Prior to that, there were no sustained, large and deep paleolakes on the southern Altiplano. Rather, drill core evidence indicates a very long sequence of shallow, hypersaline lakes and playas.

Effects of Home Energy Management Systems on Distribution Utilities and Feeders Under Various Market Structures: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruth, Mark; Pratt, Annabelle; Lunacek, Monte

2015-07-17

The combination of distributed energy resources (DER) and retail tariff structures to provide benefits to both utility consumers and the utilities is poorly understood. To improve understanding, an Integrated Energy System Model (IESM) is being developed to simulate the physical and economic aspects of DER technologies, the buildings where they reside, and feeders servicing them. The IESM was used to simulate 20 houses with home energy management systems on a single feeder under a time of use tariff to estimate economic and physical impacts on both the households and the distribution utilities. HEMS reduce consumers’ electric bills by precooling housesmore » in the hours before peak electricity pricing. Household savings are greater than the reduction utility net revenue indicating that HEMS can provide a societal benefit providing tariffs are structured so that utilities remain solvent. Utilization of HEMS reduce peak loads during high price hours but shifts it to hours with off-peak and shoulder prices and resulting in a higher peak load.« less

Continuing Extension Act of 2010

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA

2010-03-23

Senate - 03/25/2010 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure tabled in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 59 - 40. Record Vote Number: 106. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.4851, which became Public Law 111-157 on 4/15/2010. Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Temporary Tax Holiday and Government Reduction Act

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV

2011-11-30

Senate - 12/08/2011 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure, under the order of 12/8/2011, not having achieved the required 60 votes in the affirmative, was rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 22 - 76. Record Vote Number: 225. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2011

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA

2011-12-05

Senate - 12/08/2011 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure, under the order of 12/8/2011, not having achieved the required 60 votes in the affirmative, was rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 50 - 48. Record Vote Number: 224. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Using Common Themes: Cost-Effectiveness of Permanent Supported Housing for People with Mental Illness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Thomas Chalmers

2011-01-01

This article examines the cost-effectiveness of providing permanent supported housing to homeless people with mental illness. Through the use of billing records and frequency of use charts, researchers were able to map the service usage of a cohort of 268 homeless individuals from both urban and rural communities. The results suggest that…

A joint resolution to disapprove a rule promulgated by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency relating to emission standards for certain steam generating units.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK

2012-02-16

Senate - 06/20/2012 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 46 - 53. Record Vote Number: 139. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2012-12-13

Senate - 12/13/2012 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Long-Term Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT

2011-11-02

Senate - 11/03/2011 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure under the order of 11/2/2011, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 47 - 53. Record Vote Number: 196. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

PATRIOT Sunsets Extension Act of 2011

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2011-05-19

Senate - 05/24/2011 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure tabled in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 74 - 13. Record Vote Number: 76. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.514, which became Public Law 112-3 on 2/25/2011. Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Promoting College and Career Success: Portfolio Assessment for Student Veterans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, 2014

2014-01-01

Active service members and veterans are pursuing postsecondary degrees in record numbers today, due in large part to the GI Bill education benefits that can cover much or all of the cost. An important tool for helping service members and veterans succeed in postsecondary education is prior learning assessment (PLA). PLA is a process that includes…

Wetherbee with the ship's log in the middeck

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-03-17

STS102-E-5234 (17 March 2001) --- On Discovery's mid deck, astronauts William M. (Bill) Shepherd (left) and James D. Wetherbee discuss events of the joint activities among shuttle and station crew members. Wetherbee, STS-102 commander, looks over the ship's log with the outgoing station commander. The image was recorded with a digital still camera.

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2014-03-25

Senate - 03/25/2014 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2010-08-05

Senate - 08/05/2010 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2013-05-23

Senate - 05/23/2013 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2010-03-04

Senate - 03/04/2010 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2010-05-27

Senate - 05/27/2010 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2013-11-19

Senate - 11/19/2013 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV

2014-06-05

Senate - 06/05/2014 Submitted in the Senate, read twice, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

LJ Best Consumer Health Books 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bibel, Barbara

2011-01-01

The year 2010 is historic because it marks the passage of a U.S. health-care reform bill as well as midterm elections that sent to Congress people looking to repeal it. Meanwhile, the public is waiting to see what it all means. It also saw the rise of personalized medicine, with genetics and electronic health records promising a more…

A resolution recalling the Government of China's forcible dispersion of those peaceably assembled in Tiananmen Square 25 years ago, in light of China's continued abysmal human rights record.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY

2014-05-15

Senate - 06/04/2014 Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

31 CFR 357.24 - Availability and disclosure of Legacy Treasury Direct ® records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... REGULATIONS GOVERNING BOOK-ENTRY TREASURY BONDS, NOTES AND BILLS HELD IN TREASURY/RESERVE AUTOMATED DEBT ENTRY... Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), information relating to those accounts will be released only to the owner...) Sufficient information is provided to identify the Legacy Treasury Direct account. (c) Conditions for release...

31 CFR 357.24 - Availability and disclosure of Legacy Treasury Direct ® records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... REGULATIONS GOVERNING BOOK-ENTRY TREASURY BONDS, NOTES AND BILLS HELD IN TREASURY/RESERVE AUTOMATED DEBT ENTRY... Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), information relating to those accounts will be released only to the owner...) Sufficient information is provided to identify the Legacy Treasury Direct account. (c) Conditions for release...

31 CFR 357.24 - Availability and disclosure of Legacy Treasury Direct ® records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... REGULATIONS GOVERNING BOOK-ENTRY TREASURY BONDS, NOTES AND BILLS HELD IN TREASURY/RESERVE AUTOMATED DEBT ENTRY... Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), information relating to those accounts will be released only to the owner...) Sufficient information is provided to identify the Legacy Treasury Direct account. (c) Conditions for release...

31 CFR 357.24 - Availability and disclosure of Legacy Treasury Direct ® records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... REGULATIONS GOVERNING BOOK-ENTRY TREASURY BONDS, NOTES AND BILLS HELD IN TREASURY/RESERVE AUTOMATED DEBT ENTRY... Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), information relating to those accounts will be released only to the owner...) Sufficient information is provided to identify the Legacy Treasury Direct account. (c) Conditions for release...

15 CFR 758.1 - The Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) or Automated Export System (AES) record.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... entered on the loading document (e.g., Cargo Declaration, manifest, bill of lading, (master) air waybill... for all items being exported under the NLR provisions that have a reason for control other than anti-terrorism (AT). The designator “TSPA” may be used, but is not required, when the export consists of...

15 CFR 758.1 - The Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) or Automated Export System (AES) record.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... entered on the loading document (e.g., Cargo Declaration, manifest, bill of lading, (master) air waybill... for all items being exported under the NLR provisions that have a reason for control other than anti-terrorism (AT). The designator “TSPA” may be used, but is not required, when the export consists of...

15 CFR 758.1 - The Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) or Automated Export System (AES) record.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... that relate to EAR License Exceptions: (1) License Exception Baggage (BAG), as set forth in § 740.14 of.... See 15 CFR 30.53 of the FTSR; (5) License Exception Technology and Software Under Restriction (TSR... entered on the loading document (e.g., Cargo Declaration, manifest, bill of lading, (master) air waybill...

15 CFR 758.1 - The Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) or Automated Export System (AES) record.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... that relate to EAR License Exceptions: (1) License Exception Baggage (BAG), as set forth in § 740.14 of.... See 15 CFR 30.53 of the FTSR; (5) License Exception Technology and Software Under Restriction (TSR... entered on the loading document (e.g., Cargo Declaration, manifest, bill of lading, (master) air waybill...

A resolution recognizing and honoring the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA

2010-07-21

Senate - 07/22/2010 Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Yea-Nay. 100 - 0. Record Vote Number: 217. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

76 FR 26239 - Umatilla National Forest, Walla Walla Ranger District, Oregon, Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-06

... 27, 2011, Umatilla National Forest Supervisor Kevin Martin withdrew his October 8, 2010 Record of.... Responsible Official Forest Supervisor for the Umatilla National Forest, Kevin Martin. Nature of Decision To.... Kevin Martin, Forest Supervisor. [FR Doc. 2011-11097 Filed 5-5-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-11-P ...

Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2011

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA

2011-11-28

Senate - 12/01/2011 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure, under the order of 12/1/2011, not having achieved the required 60 votes in the affirmative, was rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay. 51 - 49. Record Vote Number: 219. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Resources for Shaping Collective Bargaining Laws to Meet the Special Needs of Higher Education. Special Report No. 18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academic Collective Bargaining Information Service, Washington, DC.

At least 10 additional states, as of Febraury 1975, and the Congress of the United States are shaping bills that, should they become law, will enable teachers and other professionals employed by public colleges and universities to utilize collective bargaining as an instrument for determining wages, hours, and other conditions of employment. Many…

Evaluation of the Veterans' Education and Training Service (VETS) Program of the National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheflen, Kenneth C.; Brandewie, Robert J.

The document evaluates the impact of the Veterans' Education and Training Service (VETS) program on G.I. Bill utilization rates. The VETS program is designed to increase enrollments of educationally and economically disadvantaged veterans in Veterans' Administration education and training programs. Statistical data on veterans and descriptive data…

Recruitment Strategies for Women in Nontraditional Careers. Adapted from Fair Recruitment Model and Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stitt, Beverly; Stitt, Tom

This guide presents 21 one- or two-page recruitment strategies for women in nontraditional careers. Each entry includes sections on what, when, where, who, and how. Strategies included are: (1) attention-getter giveaways; (2) bias-fee brochure; (3) bias-free slide-tape; (4) "bring a friend" day; (5) brochures with utility bills; (6) craftperson…

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review utilization of diabetes screening benefits and make recommendations on outreach programs with respect to such benefits, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Space, Zachary T. [D-OH-18

2010-07-30

Senate - 09/29/2010 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Sokaogon Chippewa Community Emission-Free and Treaty Resource Protection Clean Energy Initiative

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quade, Ron

Final Report for DOE project DE-IE0000036 The Sokaogon Chippewa Community received a tribal clean energy initiative grant and installed a community wide solar system estimated to produce 606 kw of carbon free clean energy on seventeen (17) tribal buildings and three (3) residential homes significantly reducing the tribes’ energy bills over the life of the system, potentially saving the tribe up to $2.7 million in energy savings over a thirty (30) year time span. Fifteen (15) solar installations utilized aluminum roof-top mounting systems while two (2) installations utilized a ground mount aluminum racking system.

Provider Experiences with Chronic Care Management (CCM) Services and Fees: A Qualitative Research Study.

PubMed

O'Malley, Ann S; Sarwar, Rumin; Keith, Rosalind; Balke, Patrick; Ma, Sai; McCall, Nancy

2017-12-01

Support for ongoing care management and coordination between office visits for patients with multiple chronic conditions has been inadequate. In January 2015, Medicare introduced the Chronic Care Management (CCM) payment policy, which reimburses providers for CCM activities for Medicare beneficiaries occurring outside of office visits. To explore the experiences, facilitators, and challenges of practices providing CCM services, and their implications going forward. Semi-structured telephone interviews from January to April 2016 with 71 respondents. Sixty billing and non-billing providers and practice staff knowledgeable about their practices' CCM services, and 11 professional society representatives. Practice respondents noted that most patients expressed positive views of CCM services. Practice respondents also perceived several patient benefits, including improved adherence to treatment, access to care team members, satisfaction, care continuity, and care coordination. Facilitators of CCM provision included having an in-practice care manager, patient-centered medical home recognition, experience developing care plans, patient trust in their provider, and supplemental insurance to cover CCM copayments. Most billing practices reported few problems obtaining patients' consent for CCM, though providers felt that CMS could better facilitate consent by marketing CCM's goals to beneficiaries. Barriers reported by professional society representatives and by billing and non-billing providers included inadequacy of CCM payments to cover upfront investments for staffing, workflow modification, and time needed to manage complex patients. Other barriers included inadequate infrastructure for health information exchange with other providers and limited electronic health record capabilities for documenting and updating care plans. Practices owned by hospital systems and large medical groups faced greater bureaucracy in implementing CCM than did smaller, independent practices. Improving providers' experiences with and uptake of CCM will require addressing several challenges, including the upfront investment for CCM set-up and the time required to provide CCM to more complex patients.

Industry relationships are associated with performing a greater number of sinus balloon dilation procedures.

PubMed

Eloy, Jean Anderson; Svider, Peter F; Bobian, Michael; Harvey, Richard J; Gray, Stacey T; Baredes, Soly; Folbe, Adam J

2017-09-01

Industry outreach promotes awareness of novel technologies. However, concerns have been raised that such relationships may also unduly impact medical decision-making. Our objective in this study was to evaluate industry relationships among practitioners who frequently employ balloon dilation (BD), characterizing whether there is any association between financial relationships and BD utilization. Provider utilization data (FY-2014) was accessed for individuals billing BD procedures to Medicare, the largest healthcare payor in the United States. The names of individuals included in these data sets were cross-referenced with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payment site to determine the extent of industry relationships during this same year. Individuals included in this analysis were organized by those with "significant" ($1,000 to $10,000) and "major" (> $10,000) industry relationships. Practice setting, training, and experience were also evaluated. Of the 302 otolaryngologists who billed enough BDs for inclusion in this data set, 99.3% were in private practice, 89.7% were board-certified, 8.3% had facial plastic and reconstructive fellowship training, and 1.3% had rhinology fellowship training. There was a significant increase in BDs performed with increasing BD company financial contributions (analysis of variance, p = 0.0003). Individuals without "significant" relationships with BD companies billed fewer BDs than those with at least "significant" (>$1,000) relationships (57.0 ± 4.3 vs 87.7 ± 10.0, p = 0.001). There is an association between receiving money from industry and the frequency with which otolaryngologists employ BD. Although our analysis demonstrates an association, these results in no way imply causation. Further analysis exploring the reasons for this association may be necessary. © 2017 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Prompt payment depends on revenue-cycle diligence.

PubMed

Barber, Robert L

2002-12-01

How effectively you manage the revenue cycle is reflected in the cycle's outcome-whether you receive full and timely payment for all services billed to payers. To ensure prompt and full payment, you should: Educate your patient financial services (PFS) staff on all relevant laws and regulations regarding payment for healthcare services. Make sure your staff is well versed in all of the provisions of your payer contracts. Implement a state-of-the-art patient accounting system that is capable of producing drill-down reports of all aspects of contract performance by payer. Enforce payer compliance by maintaining complete records of dates of service, final billing dates, dates claims were mailed or electronically submitted to the payer, all actions performed by your staff regarding claims, and all communications with the payer.

Economic impact of dental hygienists on solo dental practices.

PubMed

Lazar, Vickie F; Guay, Albert H; Beazoglou, Tryfon J

2012-08-01

The fact that a significant percentage of dentists employ dental hygienists raises an important question: Are dental practices that utilize a dental hygienist structurally and operationally different from practices that do not? This article explores differences among dental practices that operate with and without dental hygienists. Using data from the American Dental Association's 2003 Survey of Dental Practice, a random sample survey of U.S. dentists, descriptive statistics were used to compare selected characteristics of solo general practitioners with and without dental hygienists. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the effect of dental hygienists on the gross billings and net incomes of solo general practitioners. Differences in practice characteristics--such as hours spent in the practice and hours spent treating patients, wait time for a recall visit, number of operatories, square feet of office space, net income, and gross billings--were found between solo general practitioners who had dental hygienists and those who did not. Solo general practitioners with dental hygienists had higher gross billings. Higher gross billings would be expected, as would higher expenses. However, net incomes of those with dental hygienists were also higher. In contrast, the mean waiting time for a recall visit was higher among dentists who employed dental hygienists. Depending on personal preferences, availability of qualified personnel, etc., dentists who do not employ dental hygienists but have been contemplating that path may want to further research the benefits and opportunities that may be realized.

Mortality-related resource utilization in the inpatient care of hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

PubMed

Danford, David A; Karels, Quentin; Kulkarni, Aparna; Hussain, Aysha; Xiao, Yunbin; Kutty, Shelby

2015-10-22

Quantifying resource utilization in the inpatient care of congenital heart diease is clinically relevant. Our purpose is to measure the investment of inpatient care resources to achieve survival in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), and to determine how much of that investment occurs in hospitalizations that have a fatal outcome, the mortality-related resource utilization fraction (MRRUF). A collaborative administrative database, the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) containing data for 43 children's hospitals, was queried by primary diagnosis for HLHS admissions of patients ≤21 years old during 2004-2013. Institution, patient age, inpatient deaths, billed charges (BC) and length of stay (LOS) were recorded. In all, 11,122 HLHS admissions were identified which account for total LOS of 277,027 inpatient-days and $3,928,794,660 in BC. There were 1145 inpatient deaths (10.3%). LOS was greater among inpatient deaths than among patients discharged alive (median 17 vs. 12, p < 0.0001). BC were greater among inpatient deaths than among patients discharged alive (median 4.09 × 10(5) vs. 1.63 × 10(5), p < 0.0001). 16% of all LOS and 21% of all BC were accrued by patients who did not survive their hospitalization. These proportions showed no significant change year-by-year. The highest volume institutions had lower mortality rates, but there was no relation between institutional volume and the MRRUF. These data should alert providers and consumers that current practices often result in major resource expenditure for inpatient care of HLHS that does not result in survival to hospital dismissal. They highlight the need for data-driven critical review of standard practices to identify patterns of care associated with success, and to modify approaches objectively.

Opportunities for Automated Demand Response in California Wastewater Treatment Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aghajanzadeh, Arian; Wray, Craig; McKane, Aimee

Previous research over a period of six years has identified wastewater treatment facilities as good candidates for demand response (DR), automated demand response (Auto-­DR), and Energy Efficiency (EE) measures. This report summarizes that work, including the characteristics of wastewater treatment facilities, the nature of the wastewater stream, energy used and demand, as well as details of the wastewater treatment process. It also discusses control systems and automated demand response opportunities. Furthermore, this report summarizes the DR potential of three wastewater treatment facilities. In particular, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has collected data at these facilities from control systems, submetered processmore » equipment, utility electricity demand records, and governmental weather stations. The collected data were then used to generate a summary of wastewater power demand, factors affecting that demand, and demand response capabilities. These case studies show that facilities that have implemented energy efficiency measures and that have centralized control systems are well suited to shed or shift electrical loads in response to financial incentives, utility bill savings, and/or opportunities to enhance reliability of service. In summary, municipal wastewater treatment energy demand in California is large, and energy-­intensive equipment offers significant potential for automated demand response. In particular, large load reductions were achieved by targeting effluent pumps and centrifuges. One of the limiting factors to implementing demand response is the reaction of effluent turbidity to reduced aeration at an earlier stage of the process. Another limiting factor is that cogeneration capabilities of municipal facilities, including existing power purchase agreements and utility receptiveness to purchasing electricity from cogeneration facilities, limit a facility’s potential to participate in other DR activities.« less

Capitation of public mental health services in Colorado: a five-year follow-up of system-level effects.

PubMed

Bloom, Joan R; Wang, Huihui; Kang, Soo Hyang; Wallace, Neal T; Hyun, Jenny K; Hu, Teh-wei

2011-02-01

Capitated Medicaid mental health programs have reduced costs over the short term by lowering the utilization of high-cost inpatient services. This study examined the five-year effects of capitated financing in community mental health centers (CMHCs) by comparing not-for-profit with for-profit programs. Data were from the Medicaid billing system in Colorado for the precapitation year (1994) and a shadow billing system for the postcapitation years (1995-1999). In a panel design, a random-effect approach estimated the impact of two financing systems on service utilization and cost while adjusting for all the covariates. Consistent with predictions, in both the for-profit and the not-for-profit CMHCs, relative to the precapitation year, there were significant reductions in each postcapitation year in high-cost treatments (inpatient treatment) for all but one comparison (not-for-profit CMHCs in 1999). Also consistent with predictions, the for-profit programs realized significant reductions in cost per user for both outpatient services and total services. In the not-for-profit programs, there were no significant changes in cost per user for total services; a significant reduction in cost per user for outpatient services was found only in the first two years, 1995 and 1996). The evidence suggests that different strategies were used by the not-for-profit and for-profit programs to control expenditures and utilization and that the for-profit programs were more successful in reducing cost per user.

A Method to Test Model Calibration Techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Judkoff, Ron; Polly, Ben; Neymark, Joel

This paper describes a method for testing model calibration techniques. Calibration is commonly used in conjunction with energy retrofit audit models. An audit is conducted to gather information about the building needed to assemble an input file for a building energy modeling tool. A calibration technique is used to reconcile model predictions with utility data, and then the 'calibrated model' is used to predict energy savings from a variety of retrofit measures and combinations thereof. Current standards and guidelines such as BPI-2400 and ASHRAE-14 set criteria for 'goodness of fit' and assume that if the criteria are met, then themore » calibration technique is acceptable. While it is logical to use the actual performance data of the building to tune the model, it is not certain that a good fit will result in a model that better predicts post-retrofit energy savings. Therefore, the basic idea here is that the simulation program (intended for use with the calibration technique) is used to generate surrogate utility bill data and retrofit energy savings data against which the calibration technique can be tested. This provides three figures of merit for testing a calibration technique, 1) accuracy of the post-retrofit energy savings prediction, 2) closure on the 'true' input parameter values, and 3) goodness of fit to the utility bill data. The paper will also discuss the pros and cons of using this synthetic surrogate data approach versus trying to use real data sets of actual buildings.« less

A Method to Test Model Calibration Techniques: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Judkoff, Ron; Polly, Ben; Neymark, Joel

This paper describes a method for testing model calibration techniques. Calibration is commonly used in conjunction with energy retrofit audit models. An audit is conducted to gather information about the building needed to assemble an input file for a building energy modeling tool. A calibration technique is used to reconcile model predictions with utility data, and then the 'calibrated model' is used to predict energy savings from a variety of retrofit measures and combinations thereof. Current standards and guidelines such as BPI-2400 and ASHRAE-14 set criteria for 'goodness of fit' and assume that if the criteria are met, then themore » calibration technique is acceptable. While it is logical to use the actual performance data of the building to tune the model, it is not certain that a good fit will result in a model that better predicts post-retrofit energy savings. Therefore, the basic idea here is that the simulation program (intended for use with the calibration technique) is used to generate surrogate utility bill data and retrofit energy savings data against which the calibration technique can be tested. This provides three figures of merit for testing a calibration technique, 1) accuracy of the post-retrofit energy savings prediction, 2) closure on the 'true' input parameter values, and 3) goodness of fit to the utility bill data. The paper will also discuss the pros and cons of using this synthetic surrogate data approach versus trying to use real data sets of actual buildings.« less

Energy: the states' response in 1978

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackey, Earl S.

A compilation of all state legislative energy enactments for legislature, in 1978 is presented. It provides source material to legislators and their staff. Each bill is separated into one or more of the 37 major subject categories. Broad categories cover public utilities; tax exemption; tax application; franchise protection; conservation; resource development; solar easements; mineral extraction regulation; management; emergency powers; anti-trust; anit-environment; and miscellaneous legislation.